


Family Secrets

by navywife97



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Mystery, Partners to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:06:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24472504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navywife97/pseuds/navywife97
Summary: Officer Lucy Chen has been through a lot, and she’s about to go through more.  After the sudden loss of her parents, Lucy begins uncovering long buried family secrets. Her quest for the truth takes her far from home, deep into Louisiana bayou country. The last person Lucy expects to find there is her T.O., Officer Tim Bradford.  Will Lucy uncover the truth about her past? And if so, what does it mean for her future?Hi everyone! I’m a huge fan of The Rookie, and The Rookie fanfiction. In fact, I love the fanfiction so much, I decided to write a fanfic myself. This is my very first piece of fanfiction I’ve ever written. My mistakes are my own. I don’t own any of the characters.  Writing is strictly a hobby for me, but I welcome any feedback!The storyline I’ve created is set about a year after Lucy’s abduction, and also, Rachel’s character is non existent in this storyline. I’ve already written a few chapters, so here’s the first couple of them! Thank you and enjoy!
Relationships: Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 67
Kudos: 84





	1. Travels

Officer Tim Bradford was worried. His rookie (although technically she hadn’t been his rookie for a couple of months, but he still thought of her that way), Officer Lucy Chen, had missed her third shift in a row. No one seemed to know where she was. She hadn’t been in touch with anyone for days. The last time Tim had seen her, she was in the break room talking with Officer John Nolan over his son’s wedding plans. That was at the end of shift on Monday, and no one had seen or heard from her since. Strangely however, the watch commander, Sgt. Wade Grey didn’t seem all that concerned, which in Tim’s mind meant he knew something. Tim decided to get to the bottom of things pronto. He walked up to his boss’s office and tapped lightly on the open door. “Hey sarge, got a couple of minutes?”

Sargent Wade Grey glanced up from his paperwork into the worried eyes of his patrol officer. He knew exactly why Officer Bradford was here and was surprised it had taken him this long to say anything. Officer Bradford was one of his best officers, but when it came to Officer Lucy Chen, Officer Bradford always seemed a little more concerned about her wellbeing than the other rookies. He motioned for Tim to come inside and sit down. “Officer Bradford, what can I do for you? Everything ok?” Tim sat down for exactly five seconds before he bounced back up, and began pacing back and forth. The words seemed to tumble out of him a mile a minute. “Sir, Officer Chen has missed three shifts in a row. She hasn’t been touch with Officer West or Officer Nolan, or even me. No one seems to know where she is. It’s not like her to go radio silent on everyone and miss this much work. I’m worried. She was doing so well in her therapy, and I really thought she had turned a corner in her recovery from Caleb and everything he did to her. Everything seemed fine, I just don’t”…. Tim kept pacing, running a hand through his hair. He was definitely worried, and on edge. Sgt. Grey held up a hand, trying to stop Tim’s tirade. “Close the door Officer Bradford. This is a conversation no one else needs to hear.” Tim closed the door and sat down. His shoulders slumped, and dread settled in his gut. Whatever his boss was about to tell him couldn’t be good.

“For the record, we never had this conversation, got it? Absolutely NO ONE can know this. That’s the way Officer Chen wanted it. She honestly didn’t want me to tell anyone, including you, but I’m making a command decision here. I think she might be in trouble, and I want someone to go after her, someone I know she trusts, someone I know will do whatever is necessary to protect her. She’s one of the best rookies we’ve had in years, and I don’t want to lose her, in any way. Understand?” Tim nodded, not exactly sure where this conversation was headed. He waited for his sgt. to continue. Sgt. Grey sighed deeply before breaking the news. “Officer Chen is officially on a leave of absence from the LAPD.” Tim gaped at him, sure he had heard his sgt. incorrectly. “She’s WHAT? Why? That doesn’t make any sense. She just completed her training for christ sakes. Why the hell would she just take off like this? We have to find her, and we have to find her now. Damnit I knew something was wrong!” Tim started to rise, but stopped when he saw the expression on Sgt. Grey’s face. “Officer Bradford! Sit down, and calm down. I know exactly where she is. I don’t know how long she’s going to be on leave, but I do know where she is, and I know she’s safe, at least for the moment. One of the conditions of her leave was that she keep me updated, twice daily, which so far, she’s done.” Sgt. Grey waited until Tim had calmed down before he continued. “Look, I don’t know everything, she was pretty tight lipped about it, but I’ll tell you what I do know. As you’re aware, Officer Chen lost her parents suddenly last month.” Tim did indeed know that. Her parents had been returning home from dinner, when a drunk driver hit them head on. They were both killed instantly. They had been out that evening with Lucy, celebrating that Lucy was finally done with all of her police training. Lucy had called him that night, crying so hard he hadn’t been able to understand her at first. Sgt. Grey looked away and then back at Tim. “Apparently she plans to sell their house. She was going through some boxes, cleaning out their closet. All she told me was she had found something unusual, and she would have to go to Louisiana of all places to help settle her parents affairs. She didn’t tell me what she had found, and I didn’t ask. But whatever it was, I know it greatly upset her. She asked me for a leave of absence, and given everything she’s been though the last twelve months, I let her have it. She got on a plane the next morning. As I said before, I know she’s safe. I talked to her about an hour ago. Now, if I’m reading you correctly, I believe you have some vacation days you’re wanting to use. If you hurry you can probably catch the next flight out. Oh and Tim? Be careful. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but I get the feeling Officer Chen might be headed for trouble. I can’t authorize any resources for you on this, as this is a personal matter for her. But I can encourage you to take a much needed vacation in Louisiana, and while you’re there, find your rookie and make sure she’s ok. Dress lightly, it gets really hot and humid there, especially down in the bayous, which is where she is.” Tim rolled his eyes. Perfect he thought, he was going all the way across the country, because his rookie (who technically wasn’t his rookie anymore), had gotten in over head and mixed up in God knows what. But he knew he owed it to her, after all she had done for him. “Roger that sir. I’ve never been to that part of the country, anything I need to know?” Sgt. Grey smirked at him. “Well, let’s just say they do things differently in Louisiana. And they do things really differently down in the bayous. Keep me updated, and check in twice daily, more often if necessary. And Tim? One last thing. Don’t take it personally that she didn’t confide in you on this. I asked her why she didn’t want to tell you. She has a good reason for that too. Safe travels.” Tim nodded a goodbye at his boss and strode out the door. He tried not to be hurt that Lucy hadn’t confided in him about any of this, but, it just wasn’t that easy. His feeling of dread had been replaced with a feeling of worry. At least he knew she was safe, but what the hell had taken her all the way to Louisiana, and in such a hurry? And why hadn’t she told anyone but Sgt. Grey? Tim left the station and jumped into his truck, hoping he could catch the next flight out. Hang on Boot, he thought to himself. I’m coming.


	2. Bob's On The Bayou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim travels all the way from big city L.A. to a tiny (fictional) town on one of the Louisiana bayous. It doesn't take him long to track Lucy down.

Officer Lucy Chen sat in the tiny, dimly lit bar/restaurant called Bob’s On The Bayou (Bob’s for short) in the tiny town of Bowen, LA. She was deep in bayou country, and she felt totally and completely lost, in every way. She also felt really pissed off and frustrated and guilty. Every time she thought she had reached her new normal since Caleb had kidnapped and attempted to kill her, something would happen that would implode her life all over again. The latest was her parents’ horrible car accident. They had been out celebrating Lucy finally ending her probationary period at work and becoming a full fledged LAPD Police Officer. While they weren’t very supportive of her career choice, they still loved their daughter deeply, and wanted to celebrate her achievement. It was one of the rare times there had been no arguing or trying to convince her to change careers. It had been one of the best nights Lucy had spent with her parents in ages. She had no idea at the time it would also be her last night with them. Her parents were ten minutes from home when a drunk driver plowed right into them. No one survived the crash. Thank God for her T.O Tim Bradford. Technically, he wasn’t her T.O anymore, but she still thought of him that way. He had pulled her through the grief of that horrible time, just as he had pulled her through the grief of everything Caleb Wright had done to her. Which is why she felt so guilty now. She knows she should have called him and told him about coming to Louisiana, about what she had found hidden in her parents’ closet. But she just couldn’t, and besides, it wasn’t Tim’s job to pick up the pieces of her life every time it imploded, it was her job. So after finding the box hidden away in the closet, and after the certified letter arrived at her apartment beckoning her to Louisiana, she had left without a word to anyone except Sgt. Grey, determined to face whatever came from her recent discovery on her own. She sipped her cold beer and tried to formulate a plan for the coming day. She’d been here almost a week already, and had accomplished nothing. But she knew something was amiss. It was the way people around the tiny town of Bowen looked at her, like they were seeing a ghost. It was the way two older men in the bar two tables down from her kept glancing at her, an uneasy, tense expression on their faces. She was starving and about to place a to go order and get the hell out of there when she heard a noise above the entrance to the bar. She glanced at the door, and was stunned to see the one person she had missed the most; the one person she wanted to tell everything to, but was terrified to do so. Officer Tim Bradford strolled in and it took him about five seconds to lay eyes on Lucy. They stared at each other for several seconds; relief evident on both their faces. She should have known that wherever she went, he’d eventually find her. And she was so damn glad he had. 

Tim pointed to the bar, and Lucy nodded. He went up to the bar, scanning their menu which was on the wall on a chalkboard. He was starving, and guessed Lucy was too. Surprise, surprise, they somehow had Lucy’s favorite at this tiny, backwater bar. He ordered a beer for himself, along with a crawfish po’boy sandwich (this was bayou country after all) with fries for himself, and a veggie burger with fries for Lucy (of course with extra pickles.) After placing his order, he went to the small table Lucy was seated at. He stared at her for several seconds, but she wouldn’t look at him. “Really Boot? I travel all this way, on three seperate flights, then a two hour drive to find a town so small if you blink you’ll miss it, all to make sure you’re ok and you can’t even look at me?” Lucy sighed and put her head in her hand. “Boot….ahh hell Lucy c’mon, it can’t be that bad.” He sat down across from her and she finally looked at him. She saw the mischevious twinkle in his eyes that he saved only for her and knew in that instant she was forgiven for taking off without a word. She started to say something, when Tim pointed at her. “No, oh no. We’re not diving into whatever brought you out here just yet. I’m tired, I’m thirsty and I’m starving, and you probably are too. So we’re just going to sit here, drink our beers, eat our food, recharge, and relax a little, ok? You can tell me what’s going on after we’re done.” Just then a waitress brought their orders out. She asked Lucy if she wanted another beer, and Lucy nodded. Tim took a sip of his beer and closed his eyes, sighing happily. He felt a weight off his shoulders after finally finding Bowen, and finding Lucy safe and sound. Now he could take the edge off after dealing with airports and travelers most of the day. Lucy finished her beer. “I’m really sorry Tim. I know I should have called you and at least told you I was leaving, but I just couldn’t.” Tim looked at her, and couldn’t totally hided the hurt look on his face. “You know Lucy, it hurts to hear you say that. After everything we’ve been through, how could you not trust me?” Lucy glanced away and then back at Tim. The waitress returned with Lucy’s second beer, and Lucy waited for her to leave before continuing. “It’s not your job to save me and pick me up and put me back together every time something bad happens. I’m strong enough to handle myself.” Tim looked into his beer, took a long sip, and then looked back at Lucy. “I of all people know how damn strong you are Boot. That doesn’t mean friends can’t be there for each other. And maybe I haven’t said it enough but you stopped being just my boot a long time ago. You’re my partner now, but more than that you’re my friend. You know I’ll always have your back, no matter what it is. Or at least you should know that.” He smiled and winked at her. Lucy smiled back at him and took a bite of her sandwich. She swallowed and realized he had ordered her favorite. She glanced back up at him and shook her head, smiling at him. “I do know that, even if I don’t always act like it. Really Tim, thanks for coming all the way out here. I owe you big time.” Tim had already scarfed down about half of his sandwich and picked up his beer. He looked at her over his beer and smirked. “Oh you definitely owe me, and I can promise you Boot, you will pay up. You can start by helping me find a place to stay.” Lucy glanced towards the bar and noticed the two older men who had been staring at her were now gone. Tim noticed her anxious expression and turned to look over his over his shoulder and then back at Lucy. “What is it Boot? What did you see?” Lucy glanced back at Tim. “Oh it’s nothing. And don’t worry about a place to stay, you can stay at my house.” Tim choked on his beer, sure he had heard her wrong. “At your house? You have a house here in Bowen? Seriously?” Lucy inwardly cringed, having momentarily forgotten that she had not actually gotten around to telling Tim anything yet about why she was here. “Yeah, apparently I have a house here. A fairly big house, on the Atchafalaya River.” Tim gaped at her, shook his head, and took another swig of beer. “It’s a really long story.” They finished their food and their beers. Tim looked at her. “I’m sure it is a really long story Boot, and lucky for you, I can’t wait to hear it. Now, do you want to order another round and tell me the story here? Or do you want to go back to this house of yours that’s apparently on a river in the middle of nowhere Louisiana and tell it to me there? Either works for me.” Lucy glanced around again, uneasily, and Tim made a mental note to ask her about that in private. Why was she so jumpy? His decision made for both of them, he slapped some bills on the table, leaving a huge tip for the waitress. He doubted she made enough to live on. Without waiting for Lucy to answer, he stood up and offered her his hand. “C’mon Boot. Let’s get out of here. I want to see this fabulous house of yours that’s right on the river...a house I might add you never told me about.” Lucy took his hand, and didn’t let go of it as they left the bar. They walked to their rental cars, with Tim noticing how tired, but also how beautiful Lucy was. Friends hell, he thought. She meant so much more to him than just a friend and he damn well knew it. “Don’t worry Tim, I didn’t know about the house either until last week. Just follow me, it’s not far from here.” Tim shook his head again. This was going to be interesting he thought to himself. And probably a little more dangerous than he first thought.


	3. Olivia Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim finds out the first piece of the puzzle to unlocking Lucy's past. Will he run back to L.A.? Or will he stay and help her uncover the secrets that have long been buried?

Lucy drove through the small town of Bowen with Tim following close behind in his own rental car. She was mentally and physically drained. And she still had to tell Tim the story of what she was doing here; what she had discovered hidden in her parents’ closet, and how that discovery had led her to Louisiana. She turned her right turn signal on, and headed down the long driveway, lined with massive Oaks, some of which had moss swinging from the branches. The house on the river was located a scant fifteen minutes from the tiny bar Tim had found her in. She parked in front of the house and turned the car off. She closed her eyes, mentally gearing up for the conversation she had to have with Tim. Before he got in any deeper in this mess, he had to know what was going on, it was only fair. Lucy wouldn’t blame him if he decided to go back to L.A. after hearing her story. 

“Boot! Don’t you go to sleep on me now.” Tim knocked on the window, startling Lucy. She rolled her eyes and got out of the car. “Damnit Tim! I wasn’t asleep. C’mon, let’s get your bags and go inside.” She turned towards Tim’s car but noticed he wasn’t following her. She looked back and saw a big grin on his face. “What are you grinning about?” Tim looked at her and smiled even wider. “Fireflies! They’re everywhere! I always loved them as a kid...still do I guess.” Lucy grinned and waited for Tim to pop the trunk so she could help him with his luggage. “Well, around here, they call them lightning bugs.” She hefted one bag out before Tim finally came over to help. “Don’t wear yourself out Boot, we still have to have storytime. Here, give that to me.” He took his suitcase from her, and closed the trunk, smiling at her. Then he let out a low whistle. “Damn Chen, when you said a house on the river I was expecting something like a cottage or a bungalow. That’s a farmhouse! It’s huge! You know what something like that would go for in L.A.? Close to a million, if not more, easily.” Lucy began leading the way to the front steps. “Yeah, well, we’re a long way from L.A. Bradford.” They climbed the front steps and stepped onto the wide, covered, wrap around porch. Lucy unlocked the front door and they went inside. Dusk was turning to twilight and with the fireflies all around, and twinkling stars beginning to peek out over the river, it made for a breathtaking sight. But Lucy was too lost in thought to notice any of it. Tim however thought it was stunning. 

“Where do you want me Chen?” Tim smirked as he looked at Lucy. Ever since they had become partners and she was no longer his rookie he had begun flirting with her, at least occasionally, especially when he was trying to cheer her up, which she recognized that’s what he was up to now. “There’s three bedrooms upstairs. I’m in the master, but the other two are free and both have clean sheets. Take your pick.” Tim took his suitcase upstairs, noting the fact that Lucy hadn’t smiled at him as he’d hoped she would after his smartass comment. Instead she had looked a little lost, which broke his heart. He tossed his bag in the first bedroom he came to, and then went back downstairs. It was time to get this show on the road. When he went back downstairs, he didn’t see Lucy anywhere at first. The slightest worry began to invade his mind when he noticed the kitchen. It was a good sized kitchen, with dated appliances, but still, it was clean. He saw that off the kitchen there was a door that led to the back part of the wrap around porch, and it overlooked the river. He figured Lucy was out there, waiting for him. He toed his shoes off and went to the door leading to the porch. 

Lucy was a ball of nerves, sitting on the old, worn, wicker couch. She had no idea how Tim would take the news...hell she didn’t even know how she was taking the news. She was still processing the little bit of life changing news she had discovered. And she was still trying to figure out why in the world her parents had not told her while they were still alive. So much of this could have been avoided if they had, or so she thought. Lucy had fixed a stiff drink for both her and Tim, and was sipping on hers when Tim stepped onto the porch. “Wow, this is beautiful Boot. Seriously. I could get use to something like this.” Tim walked to the porch railing and closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He smelled magnolia blossoms, honeysuckle, and the river. The night air was sultry and a tad too humid for his liking, but he could totally deal with it for that view. He turned around and looked at Lucy, who had lit enough candles that they could easily see even though darkness had fallen. She wasn’t trying to be romantic (at least not totally), but she was trying for a soothing, relaxing environment. Tim came to sit next to her on the wicker sofa, and it was then he noticed his drink she had fixed him….whiskey neat. Maybe in the back of her mind she had somehow known he would find her way out here in bayou country and had bought that especially for him. He grinned at her. “I see you came prepared. Tell me something Boot, was this whiskey here when you first arrived to this house?” Lucy couldn’t help but smile. “No. When I was buying some tequila I saw the whiskey and bought it. I didn’t know if you’d come out here to find me, but I hoped you would.” Lucy looked down at her tequila and took a sip before setting the glass on the little table beside her. It was then Tim noticed the manila folder in her lap. This was it. He draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her close as he took a sip of his whiskey. “Let’s get something straight right here and now before we get into this. Look at me Boot.” Lucy turned her head and stared into his beautiful blue eyes. “Whatever it is, I’m with you all the way. Got it? God knows you were there for me when no one else was, and saved me from doing so much stupid shit. But I’m not doing this because I owe you, even though I do. I’m doing this because...because I care about you. You’re my partner, you’re my friend, and you’re in some kind of trouble. I’m not going anywhere until whatever this is is resolved, ok?” Lucy leaned into his shoulder. Lucy whispered her thanks, and then handed him the folder. 

Tim took another sip of his drink before handing it to Lucy for her to put on the table. He pulled out the papers contained in the folder. He began skimming over the papers, including her birth certificate, his eyes growing wider with each word he read. “These are adoption papers. Whose are they Chen?” Lucy looked away, and then looked back at Tim. “They’re mine. Apparently I was adopted at the age of 3 years old...and that’s where the mystery starts.” Relaxing because Tim had been expecting something much worse, he leaned back and took another sip of his drink, which Lucy had handed him. “Ok, so what’s the big deal here? I didn’t know you were adopted, but so what? There’s nothing wrong with that is there?” Tim was obviously confused, so Lucy laid it out for him. “Tim, I didn’t know I was adopted. They never told me. I didn’t find those papers until after my parents had died. They were in a box hidden deep in their closet. And there’s more. About a week after my parents died, I received a certified letter in the mail. I didn’t open it at first because I just didn’t feel like dealing with it. When I finally did open it, I discovered it was a letter from a woman claiming to be my aunt, a woman by the name of Abigail Kelley. Apparently she never married nor had any children. This house is her house. She owns it but is deeding it and the property she owns to me. She has medical issues, and lives in an assisted living home about 20 minutes from here.” Lucy took a deep breath, and gathered herself. Tim could tell more was coming and it wasn’t going to be good. “I haven’t been to the assisted living home yet, because she wasn’t up for any visitors. I went to the courthouse to try and get some more information on my adoption, on my parents, anything. Remember this is tiny town backwater Louisiana, so they’re a little behind the times. Nothing is digital yet, hell the town just recently created a town website. Anyway, everything’s gone. The only vital record I was able to locate was the deed to this house. Anything relating to my adoption, my parents, is missing, except for my birth certificate. In all this time I’ve been out here, I’ve only gained one new piece of intel!” Lucy stood up, frustrated, and walked to the porch railing. The sultry night breeze blew her hair back from her face and she closed her eyes. Tim sat where he was, processing everything she had just hold him, but still keeping an eye on her. He briefly closed his eyes in frustration. Goddamnit, he thought. What a bomb to drop on her shoulders after everything she’d already been through. Why the hell didn’t her parents tell her any of this when they had a chance? It made absolutely no sense to him. Tim stood up, tossing the file onto the couch, and came up behind Lucy, putting his hands on her shoulders. He gently began massaging them as she tried not to cry. “Damnit Luce, I’m so sorry. This is a hell of a way to find out you were adopted. I can’t believe your parents never said anything about this to you, that’s insane!” She shuddered and Tim gently turned her around, seeing the troubled look in her eyes. Shit, there’s more to this story, he thought. “Boot”, he said softly, “What else aren’t you telling me?” Lucy looked down and took a deep breath, drawing strength from Tim’s hands still on her shoulders. She looked back up at him. “Records aren’t the only thing that’s missing. My biological parents are missing as well. There’s no trace of them. The names on my birth certificate are fake. The name of the doctor who delivered me is fake. That whole damn birth certificate is fake, except for one name. Mine. My birth name is the only piece of this godawful puzzle I have, and I’m no closer to solving this thing than I was almost a week ago!” She buried her face in her hands and started sobbing. Tim swore softly, and fully engulfed her in his embrace. Lucy had lost so much over the last few months, but she had prevailed, and gotten so much back. Now, she was on the losing end again, and it killed Tim to see his Boot, his Lucy knocked down every time she tried to get back up. But he knew Lucy Chen was a fighter, and he knew she’d keep getting back up no matter what it took. Tim cradled her face in his hands and forced her to look up at him. “Well, you’ll always be Lucy Chen to me, or better yet, Boot. But I do think Olivia Rose is a very pretty name. And I think whoever gave you that name must have loved you totally and completely to give you name as beautiful as that.” Lucy smiled in spite of her tears, and buried her face in Tim’s chest. It didn’t surprise her that he had zeroed in on her birth name on the apparently fake birth certificate. He wrapped her in his arms and held on tight as her sobs quieted down. Lucy was too caught up in her own rollercoaster of emotions to think logically at the moment, but Tim’s mind was racing. They had more pieces of the puzzle than Lucy realized. And that sparked a wildfire of hope inside Tim. “Ok Boot, c’mon. That’s enough for now. The bugs are starting to eat me alive out here. I’m tired, I know you’re tired, so let’s take this inside. We can relax, finish our drinks, and get some sleep.” Tim gathered everything up while Lucy opened the door for him. He smiled as he walked past her inside. Lucy shut and locked the door. That’s when Tim grabbed her hand and stuck her cell phone in it. “Before you go to bed, you really need to shoot a text to Lopez, Harper, Nolan, and Jackson. Everyone’s worried sick about you. You don’t need to tell them everything right now if you don’t want to, but at least let them know you’re ok. I’m going to call Grey and fill him in.” Lucy looked after him as Tim trotted upstairs to make the call and change clothes. He was right, she really did need to get in touch with her friends. She walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch. She texted West first, apologized, and let him know she was ok and that Tim was with her. She then texted Nolan and Lopez and Harper and told them the same thing. Tim came back downstairs, and went into the kitchen to retrieve their drinks. He returned to the living room and handed Lucy her drink. He flopped down next to her, sipping his drink, lost in thought. This situation was getting more complicated by the minute. He wondered what morning would bring. He glanced at Lucy, who had finished her drink, and was almost asleep. Tim downed the last of his drink, and took the glasses to the kitchen. He came back into the living room, smiling softly as he looked at Lucy. She was worn out, and unfortunately, they still had a long way to go on this unofficial case. But just as he promised, he’d be there every step of the way. “Ok Sleeping Beauty, time for bed. Let’s go.” Tim pulled Lucy to her feet as she grumbled. He grinned. She always grumbled when she was tired. After making sure the house was locked up tight, they walked upstairs. Lucy didn’t even change clothes, she just fell on the bed, curled up, and went to sleep. Tim bent down and softly pushed her hair out of her face, before putting a light blanket over her. He stared down at her, wondering how much one person could take before they reached their breaking point. Unfortunately for him, he’d soon find out.


	4. Birth Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy and Tim meet her biological aunt, the only member of her birth family they've been able to find. Her aunt only has weeks to live, and reveals a secret to Tim of a long ago disappearance.

Tim’s eyes shot open. He had been in a deep sleep, but something had awakened him. He wasn’t sure what though. He noticed it was still dark outside. He grabbed his phone and glanced at it...it was 3:30am. Tim groaned, he’d only been asleep for about three hours. He closed his eyes, preparing to try to go back to sleep, when he heard the sound again. Shit, he knew what that sound was. His partner was crying. Tossing back the covers, he got out of bed and padded out of the bedroom. When he got to the master bedroom he noticed the door was closed, but a soft glow of light was coming out from underneath the door. He quietly knocked. “Lucy? Are you ok? Can I come in?” Lucy stared down at the picture she had found and shook her head sadly. She sighed deeply, and tried to calm down. She knew Tim would barge through any second to make sure she was safe. “Yeah, come in.” She was still staring at the old, faded photograph when Tim entered the room. He sat down on the bed beside her. “Hey, what’s wrong? I thought I heard you crying?” Lucy handed him the photograph and looked away, sniffling as she did. Tim took the picture from her, and gasped before he could help himself. The picture was of a young woman, laughing into the camera, with an adorable little girl in her arms, who was also smiling. And the woman holding the small child was the spitting image of Lucy Chen. The only difference Tim could tell was the color of the woman’s eyes...she seemed to have greenish, almost hazel eyes, whereas Lucy had brown eyes. But other than that, she and Lucy could have passed for twins. Tim realized he was most likely looking at a toddler Lucy Chen being held by her biological mother. He turned the picture over and read the handwriting on the back. It said ‘Mama and Livvy Rose, summer, 1986.’ Lucy looked at him. “I think that must be me, with my biological mother. God Tim, no wonder people in this town look at me so strangely. I look almost exactly like her.” Tim grunted. “Yes, there does seem to be a very strong resemblance. Where did you find this?” Lucy took the picture back from him. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went into the bathroom looking for some sleep medicine. I opened the medicine cabinet and it was taped inside.” Tim thought that was odd, for a couple of reasons; that’s definitely a strange place to keep a picture. And how had Lucy just now found it? She’d been here for a few days before he had arrived. Tim looked at her questioningly. “Lucy, let me ask you something. When you arrived, how did you gain entrance into the house? I know you told me this is your aunt’s house, but she obviously doesn’t live here anymore. Was there anyone else here, someone who maybe let you inside?” Lucy shook her head. “No. My aunt had sent me a set of housekeys along with the letter. Why?” Tim looked at her. ‘Ok, and what did you do after you first arrived? After you got settled I mean. Did you clear the house?” Lucy smacked her forehead in frustration. “Damnit, no, and that’s the first thing I should have done. I was so tired when I got here, I laid down on the couch. I didn’t wake up until well after dark so I took a bath and went to bed. Then the next morning I went out for supplies, and to the courthouse. It felt, wrong, I guess, to go snooping through this house, since we don’t know of any crime committed here, and it’s really not even my house, at least not quite yet. But like I said, we don’t know of any crime committed here, so I wasn’t exactly in cop mode when I got here.” Tim didn’t want to let his mind wander to Lucy in a bathtub, but it did, briefly. He grabbed her arm when Lucy started to get up. She glared at him; he glared right back. “Whoa Boot, where’s the fire?” Lucy wrenched her arm away from him. “I’m going to check the house out, which is the first thing I should have done when I got here. Some cop I’m turning out to be.” Tim grabbed her arm again, harder this time, and kept her firmly on the bed. “Boot,” he said in his T.O. voice, “Just take a breath. It’s almost 4am. I’m still tired, and I know you’re probably still tired. Now listen to me. You need to get your head in the game. I agree there’s something very wrong about this entire situation. It looks like someone has gone to a hell of a lot of trouble to hide your adoption. But we have to approach this unofficial case the way we would any police investigation. We dig up leads and we chase those leads, wherever they take us. And you better prepare yourself, because wherever those leads take us might not be somewhere you want to go. So here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to finish getting some sleep. Then tomorrow morning, after we get caffineated, we’re going to check every square inch of this house out. Then after that we’re going to call the assisted living home, and schedule a visit with your aunt. Understood?” Tim was looking at Lucy as he spoke and he saw with every word he said that her eyes were clearing, and a look of determination came across her face. There she is, he thought to himself. There’s my boot. He grabbed her hand, and looked at her. “Will you be able to sleep?” Lucy looked away, gripped his hand tighter and Tim sighed. His boot had come a long way in her recovery from Caleb Wright, and had conquered a lot of demons in that recovery. But he knew some of those demons she was still fighting. She was always focused and on point when on duty. But it was when she was off duty, and trying to sleep, in the dark, when the demons came. Tim got up, and instead of leaving the room, he went to the other side of the bed and got under the covers. Lucy was grateful that he always seemed to know what she needed, and when she needed it, and didn’t make a big deal about it. Lucy got into bed, and turned off the light. “Thanks for saying we,” Lucy whispered. Tim turned his head and looked at her. “I told you Boot, we’re partners, and we’re friends. I’ve always got your back. Now be quiet and go to sleep.” Tim shut his eyes and in a few minutes, was sound asleep. And for the first time since she had arrived in Bowen, LA, Lucy finally slept deeply too, and without any demons coming out to play, in the dark. 

Tim awoke to the bright sunlight streaming through the windows, the fragrant smell of coffee, and the sizzling sound of bacon frying. Lucy was already awake obviously. He climbed out of bed, visited the bathroom, quickly showered and dressed, and then went downstairs. He found Lucy at the stove, cooking eggs and bacon. Toast and fruit were already on the table. He saw two mugs sitting by the coffee maker. He filled one for himself, and then filled the other one for Lucy. “Morning Boot. Since you’ve clearly been up for a while, have you determined our morning agenda?” Lucy plated the eggs and bacon and took them to the table. Tim brought the coffee mugs to the table, and together they sat down and began to eat. “I know you wanted to check out the house this morning, but I called the assisted living home. My aunt apparently is having a really good morning, so I think we should go visit her later this morning and check the house out later.” Tim nodded his approval as he buttered some toast, and scooped fruit onto his plate. “Good plan. Since you said your aunt has serious health issues, we definitely need to visit her whenever the chance presents itself.” He looked at her, concern on his face. “You sure you’re up to this boot? You’ve had a lot dropped into your lap suddenly. If you’re not ready yet we can wait until tomorrow.” They had both scarfed down their breakfast, hungrier than they had realized. Lucy looked at Tim straight in the eyes. “You told me I needed to get my head in the game remember? Well, guess what Officer Bradford, it’s kickoff time. I cooked, so you get to clean. I’m going to shower and get dressed.” Lucy quickly headed for the stairs, while Tim gathered the plates. That’s my girl, he thought. He wondered how much longer he’d be able to keep his own secrets from Lucy Chen. Because once revealed, they would change everything between them. 

Lucy and Tim locked up the house, and each started to head for their rental cars. “Uhh Tim? Where are you going? I’m driving.” Tim smirked and climbed into his rental car and started it. “Remind me Boot, which one of us was driving when we ended up hanging upside down in the shop?” Lucy rolled her eyes and got into Tim’s rental car instead. He looked at her and grinned. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Now, how far away is this place, and how do we get there?” 

About twenty minutes later, Tim and Lucy arrived at Sunny Meadows Assisted Living Home. It wasn’t very big, but it at least looked like a decent place to live for the elderly or the terminally ill. Lucy and Tim went inside and to the front desk, where a friendly, older woman whose name according to her nametag was Margaret was doing office work. Tim put on his most charming smile for the older woman. “Good morning ma’am, I’m Tim Bradford, and this pretty lady next to me is Lucy Chen. We’re here to visit with Abigail Kelley if she’s feeling up for visitors today?” Lucy had noted the startled expression on the woman’s face as Tim had mentioned her name. She could tell Tim had noticed it too. The woman quickly recovered however and smiled back at them. “Why yes, Ms. Kelley is having a good day today, and I’m sure she’d love to have visitors. She’s out in the garden right now. If you’ll just sign your names here on the check in list, I’ll show you where she is.” Tim and Lucy signed in, and then followed Margaret outside into the garden. Abigail was sitting in a wheelchair, next to a rosebush, apparently enjoying the sunlight, with a big smile on her face and her eyes closed. “Abigail, Hi sweety. You have two visitors today, a Mr. Tim Bradford, and a Ms. Lucy Chen. Would you like to stay here in the garden during your visit with them? Or would you rather go back inside?” Abigail opened her eyes, and her eyes locked with Lucy’s. Abigail had the same color eyes as Lucy’s biologial mom did. “Livvy,” she whispered. Only Lucy caught what Abigail had murmured, because Tim was busy telling Margaret they’d be comfortable out here, and they would kindly take Abigail back inside if she wanted to go. Margaret had left them alone, and Tim and Lucy both sat down on a bench next to Abigail’s wheelchair. “Ms. Kelley? I’m Lucy Chen. I came here because you sent me a letter?” Abigail grabbed Lucy’s hand with her frail, aged hand. “Oh I know who you are, and I knew you’d come. I just knew you’d come back.” Lucy looked at Tim, and then back at Abigail. “Ms. Kelley, can you tell me why you sent me the letter? And why you claim to be my aunt? Can you tell me anything about my birth family?” Abigail glanced away, and then back at Lucy, a haunted expression on her face. “There’s so much I have to tell you Livvy. First let me start by saying I don’t have much time left. I’m dying…I have stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, and it’s terminal.” Lucy looked down at their joined hands and squeezed. Tim admired Lucy for how much compassion she obviously had for this woman, even though she was a stranger to Lucy. “Oh Ms. Kelley, I’m so very sorry.” Abigail smiled sadly at her. “It’s simply my time dear. But I vowed to my sister Amelia, and to myself, that before I left this earth, I would find you, and I would tell you everything. You deserve that.” Lucy gasped. Abigail had said a name, Amelia. Could this be the name of her birth mother? “Ms. Kelley, please tell me everything you can.” Lucy looked at her pleadingly. She hoped she was ready for whatever she was about to hear. As Abigail began speaking, Tim grabbed Lucy’s hand and gripped it tightly. “Your name, or rather, your birth name, is Olivia Rose Kelley. My sister Amelia is your mother. You were the light of our lives for the first three years of your life. But life doesn’t always work out as planned, and unfortunately we had to give you up for adoption when you were three years old. It was the only way to keep you safe. After that, everything else fell apart.” Lucy glanced at Tim, who looked at back at her intently. He gave Lucy a slight nod...he wanted Lucy to keep encouraging the woman to talk as much as she could. Lucy looked back at Abigail. “Ms. Kelley, can you tell me what happened after that? Can you tell me why I was placed for adoption?” Abigail took a shallow breath, and continued on. “Your father, Remy Broussard, was born and raised here in Bowen. His family goes back several generations here in fact. But our family doesn’t. My parents brought my sister and I to Bowen when we were very small girls, from China. Our mother was American, but had lived all over the world, before she settled in China. Our father was chinese. They met and married in China, and then had Amelia and myself. We’re twins. When we left China and came here, they had our last name changed to Kelley, in order to fit in better here in Bowen. They wanted a better life for themselves, and more freedom for us, since we were young girls. We grew up here in Bowen, and around the time our ninth grade year started, your parents met. They fell in love immediately, but not everyone approved of the relationship, especially your father’s family. When we graduated high school, your parents ran off and got married. They came back to Bowen about a year later...with you. Their daughter, Olivia Rose.” Abigail sagged back against her wheelchair and took several shallow breaths. Lucy held off asking anymore questions just then, giving Abigail time to catch her breath. She sat trying to digest all this new information. Finally Tim spoke up. “Ms. Kelley, are you alright? Do you need to go back inside and rest?” Abigail chuckled. “I’ll have plenty of time to rest in a couple of months young man. I need to get this out while I still can.” Tim nodded, and asked another question. “Ms. Kelley, I notice that you have the same last name as Olivia Rose, so I take that to mean Olivia Rose was given her mother’s last name. Why is that? Why was she not given her father’s last name?” The haunted expression came back into Abigail’s eyes. “When Amelia and Remy, came back to Bowen his family was furious. Threats were made. And some of those threats turned to actions. Our parents left Bowen, but Amelia and I were determined to stay, so we did. Amelia and Remy decided they would keep their marriage a secret, and they gave Olivia Rose Amelia’s last name to keep her a secret as well. It worked, for a while. But in the end, they both realized they couldn’t stay in Bowen. When his family found out about Olivia Rose, threats were made against the baby. They fled Bowen that night. I haven’t seen or heard from either one of them since. I don’t even know if they’re still alive.” A tear leaked out and Abigail brushed it sadly away. She grabbed Lucy’s hand again. “When I was told about my health, I knew I had to get my affairs in order. I knew I had to find Amelia and Remy and you. I tried my hardest, but I couldn’t find either of them. I did however find you, Livvy Rose. If I never see my sister again, at least I know her child is safe. I want you to know how much she loved you, how much they both loved you. They did everything they could to keep you safe.” Lucy could tell that Abigail was exhausted from telling the story, with how difficult it was now for her to breathe. Lucy held herself together and gently hugged her aunt. “Thank you for finding me, and for telling me this. I think you should rest now. We can take you back to your room if you like?” Frantically Abigail grabbed for Lucy’s hand. Lucy gently grabbed Abigail’s hand and knelt in front of her. “I promise I’ll come back Abigail. I just found you. I’m not going to lose you again.” Lucy stood up and glanced at Tim. She couldn’t read the expression on his face. Lucy signaled for Margaret who had come out to check on them. “I think she’s ready to go back to her room and rest. If you tell Tim where her room is, he can take her back. While he’s doing that, could I ask you a few questions?” Tim was high fiving Lucy in his mind. Nice work boot, he thought. While you question her, I can quickly check out Abigail’s room for anything useful. As Margaret and Lucy headed back to the front desk, Tim wheeled Abigail back to her room. A nurse was there waiting and she gently helped Margaret into bed, quickly checked her vitals, before leaving the room. Tim shut the door quietly. He was beginning to glance around the room when he noticed Abigail reaching for him. He quickly came to her bedside. “What is it Ms. Kelley? What’s wrong?” Abigail clutched his hand. “Promise me you’ll protect her. If they find out she’s back in Bowen they’ll come after her again. Promise me you’ll protect her. They can’t know she’s here.” Tim knelt by the bed and looked Abigail straight in the eyes, holding her hand gently, but tightly. “I promise you Ms. Kelley, on my life, I will do everything I can to protect her. You have my word.” Abigail relaxed slightly, but she had to tell Tim one more thing. She had to get it out before she dozed off. Pointing to the small desk in her room she said “There, in the long drawer in the middle, there’s a set of keys. Get them. There’s a small house by the river on my property, that used to be a servant’s house. It’s not far from the main house. You’ll find everything you need in there. Promise me you’ll get him.” Tim looked at Abigail questioningly. “Who Ms. Kelley? Who are you talking about?” Abigail took another breath. “Chief Broussard. He’s the Chief of Police here in Bowen. And I think he killed Remy and my sister.”


	5. Nothing Stays Buried Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim finds out all the secrets from Lucy's past, and who's responsible for it all. Tim is determined to take him down. But Chief Broussard is just as determined to keep his secrets buried.

Chief Remy Broussard Sr, slammed down the phone in his office. It was confirmed. First a couple of his cronies had warned him that they had spotted Livvy Rose in Bob’s On The Bayou. They couldn’t be sure it was her but they were fairly certain. The call with his sister just confirmed it. Livvy Rose had definitely returned to Bowen. He couldn’t believe this was happening, all over again. He had just gotten off the phone with his sister Margaret, who worked at Sunny Meadows Assisted Living Home. She had informed him of Abigail Kelley’s visitors, and he knew the past had come back to haunt him. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and closed his eyes and sighed. He had tried so hard to keep the past in the past, to keep that damn Chinese family from ruining his son’s life and future. And he thought he had succeeded, at least somewhat. His son had never married that Chinese girl, but he had also never forgiven his father for breaking them up and had left Bowen long ago. He hadn’t spoken to his son in over twenty years. No matter he thought. He knew he’d done the right thing for his son, even if his son could never see that. He’d kept the family legacy alive, and kept the family name from being tarnished. He was just a few short months from retirement, his successor already chosen, by him of course. He wasn't going to let anything ruin his life now. He just had to come up with a plan to keep his secrets safe. 

He had to admit though, there was a sense of pride, that he would never admit to, that the illegitimate granddaughter he had tried to put an end to all those years ago was now a cop in one of the biggest and toughest police departments in the country. That gave him pause for thought. Maybe he should have given that Chinese girl a chance. God knows she was beautiful, and brilliant. And clearly her daughter had turned out quite well. But he shook his head. She was not 100% American, therefore she couldn’t have been allowed to marry his son, and become a permanent part of his life. It was that simple to him. That’s just how life worked in small, Southern towns, at least in his mind. It looked like it was time for him to pay Abigail Kelley a visit. 

Lucy was silent on the ride back to the house, which was just fine with Tim. He was lost in his own thoughts. Perfect, just perfect he thought. As if this whole thing wasn’t messy enough, now a dirty cop was thrown into the mix. There was nothing Tim hated more than a dirty cop. And of course it wasn’t just any dirty cop, oh no. Of course it had to be the goddamn Chief of Police. Tim wondered how much worse this unofficial case was going to get before it started getting any better. When they arrived back at the house, Tim glanced at Lucy. She looked worn down and drained. He hadn’t yet told her what her aunt had said to him as they left. He was keeping that to himself for now. “Hey Boot, why don’t you go inside and take a nap. Chill out, relax.” Lucy looked at him thru tired eyes. “That sounds like a good idea. What about you? What are you going to do?” Tim had come up with a plan to go check out the old servant’s house...alone. “I thought I’d go for a run. I need some exercise, and running always clears my head. I won’t be gone long.” Lucy laughed tiredly. “Well, you have fun with that. I’m definitely not up for a run right now.” They got out of the car and went into the house. Lucy went to her bedroom and shut the door. Tim changed into running clothes, grabbed his cell phone, the keys Lucy’s aunt had given him, and went back outside. He got far enough away from the house to where he couldn’t be seen before calling Sgt. Grey. Sgt. Grey glanced at his ringing phone and answered it. Finally, he thought. “Officer Bradford, I thought I said keep me updated.” Tim rolled his eyes, since he knew his sergeant couldn’t see him. “Yes sir, that’s why I’m calling. You better sit down for this.” Tim proceeded to fill him in. Sgt. Grey sighed heavily. “Why is it always you two? Why is it that you and Officer Chen always seem to get yourselves into the worst possible situations? Even Nolan doesn’t do that as often as you two do.” Tim chuckled. “I don’t know sir, but at least we always come out on top.” Sgt. Grey wasn’t amused. “Yeah well you’d better make sure you both come out on top of this one too. I don’t want to lose my best patrol officer and my best rookie in some backwater town on the other side of the country. Look Tim, if even half of what this woman claiming to be Officer Chen’s aunt is true, you’re going to need help. But I can’t authorize anyone else to go out to Louisiana, not without some hard evidence, and not based on the ramblings of a dying woman. Especially for what is still officially a personal matter for a rookie officer.” Tim had thought of that too. “Sir, I have an idea. I’ve got a friend from college who’s with the FBI now. She works out of the New Orleans field office. I’m going to give her a call and bring her up to speed on this. Lord knows I don’t want the damn Feds out here taking over this thing, but at least we’d have backup if we need it, and they’re a lot closer to our location than the LAPD is.” Sgt. Grey felt a small sense of relief. “Do it. Call her. I doubt the FBI will get involved at this point, but at least they’d know you’re there.” Tim agreed, told his sergeant goodbye, and placed another call. Unfortunately the call went straight to voicemail, so Tim left his friend a message, albeit a vague one, but told her it was important. He put his phone in his pocket, and went to look for the old servant’s house. 

Lucy laid on the bed, mentally drained. She wanted to fall asleep and escape from reality, but she just couldn’t. Her mind was racing. In a few days it would be the anniversary of her parents’ tragic deaths. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she had discovered they had not only lied to her most of her life, but now she apparently has another family...several of whom are flat out missing. And to top it all off she has found her adorably sweet aunt, who won’t be around long enough for Lucy to really to get to know. Lucy cried herself to sleep. 

Chief Broussard arrived at the assisted living home and went straight to Abigail’s room, carrying a bouquet of flowers. He didn’t even bother knocking. He went inside her room, shut and locked the door. “Hello Abigail. It’s been a long time.” Abigail looked over at Chief Broussard and gasped, a look of horror on her face. “Now, now little lady, you just relax. I brought you these flowers, aren’t they pretty? I’ll just set them over here on the desk for you so you can look at them whenever you like.” Abigail watched him like a hawk. She knew what this man was capable of. In a flash he was beside her bed, pinning her fragile body down, one hand covering her mouth. He whispered in her ear. “I know she’s back. I know you left your house to her. I don’t give a damn about any of that. If all she came here to do is to deal with the sale of the house that’s fine. I’ll leave her alone, as long as she goes back to where the hell she came from and never comes back. But I’m hearing she’s poking around, asking questions. You never should have found her Abigail. She’d have been fine if you had just left her alone. Why couldn’t you just leave her alone, leave all of this alone? It was over, done with, in the past! Like I said, I’ll leave her alone for now...and if she leaves soon, she’ll be fine. But if she doesn’t, I’ll do what I should have done all those years ago. I’ll kill her. And then, I’ll kill you. Do we have an understanding?” Abigail feebly nodded her head. Satisfied, Chief Broussard left as quietly as he came in. Abigail took several shallow breaths before she passed out. 

Tim shut and locked the door to the servant’s house, walked to the riverbank, and flopped on the ground. He buried his head in his hands. Oh yes, he had found everything Abigail had hidden in there. What a fucking mess this whole damn case was. How could such corruption run as rampant as it apparently has in Bowen and for so long? How could Chief Broussard get away with everything he’s done and no one, absolutely no one, had been able to do anything about it? And how the hell was he going to tell Lucy? Chief Broussard most definitely was responsible for the disappearance of both her parents...and there was a mountain of evidence against him hidden in that servant’s house. Tim felt helpless, but a tiny bit of hope began to spring alive inside him. The evidence he had found had most certainly proved Chief Broussard had committed a crime, several crimes in fact. But none of what he had found pointed to murder. It was possible Lucy’s biological parents were still alive. Maybe they had disappeared on their own after Lucy’s adoption, too scared to come back to Bowen or to let anyone know they were alive. Maybe they disappeared on purpose to keep Chief Broussard from finding them or Lucy. Tim knew two things for sure...he was going to find Lucy’s biological parents, and he was going to take Chief Broussard down. The man had ruined enough lives...including his own son’s. Tim glanced towards the direction of the main house and sighed. Now all he had to do was tell Lucy what he had found...and implode her fragile world all over again. He had also found proof that confirmed his suspicions...Chief Broussard was Lucy’s paternal grandfather. Her own grandfather was responsible for this entire mess. He hated that he was going to have to hurt her. But the truth as they say, will set you free. And he had to tell Lucy the truth..even his own. He was almost within sight of the main house when he heard Lucy screaming his name. He swore and took off at a dead run.


	6. Secrets Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim tells Lucy about everything he found in the servant's house. They finally give in to their feelings for each other..but it could cost them everything.

Tim sprinted as fast as he could back towards the house. He was momentarily relieved when he saw Lucy flying down the back stairs. “Tim! Tim! Oh God Tim it’s Abigail, something’s happened.” Tim reached Lucy and grasped her shoulders. “Calm down Lucy, take some deep breaths. What happened, are you ok?” Lucy shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s not me, it’s Abigail. Her nurse just called me. She went to check on her and found her unconscious. She was barely breathing and had a weak pulse. They rushed her to the nearest hospital. We’ve got to go!” Tim grabbed Lucy’s keys from her and rushed towards her car. “I’m driving.” He started to get into the car when he noticed Lucy hadn’t moved. “Boot! Get your ass in gear!” Lucy ran towards Tim and snatched her keys back. “No Tim, we can’t go. Don’t you see? Don’t you get it? You’re the one who told me never to believe in coincidences...you drilled that into my brain. Don’t you think it’s odd that just a few hours after we left Abigail she was found almost dead? Her nurse and Margaret both said they didn’t see anything or anyone suspicious after we left. But that doesn’t mean anything. I think someone found out we went to see her and they threatened her to keep quiet. We can’t go to the hospital, we’ll only put her in more danger.” Tim realized Lucy was right. It definitely looked like someone was tying up loose ends concerning Lucy’s adoption, and wanted anyone who knew anything about it kept quiet. Tim looked all around, scanning for any threat. He grabbed Lucy and all but dragged her back into the house, slamming and locking the door. He and Lucy checked all the other exits to make sure everything was locked up tight. Then he grabbed Lucy and hugged her tight. Lucy was trying hard not to cry. “It’s ok Luce...I’ve got you. I don’t think he’ll try anything here.” Too late, Tim realized his mistake. Lucy leaned back and looked at him. “Him? Him who?” Tim sighed and tugged her to the couch. They both sat down. He looked at her, hating what he was about to do, but knowing he had to do it. “When you were talking to Margaret, I took Abigail back to her room. She revealed something to me before I left. She thinks the Bowen Chief of Police, Chief Remy Broussard Sr, is responsible for your parents’ disappearance, and in essence your adoption.” Tim paused, and Lucy could tell he was stalling. “Tell me the rest. Just say it and get it over with.” Tim looked away, and then back at Lucy. “Abigail thinks he killed your parents. Either he did it himself or he had someone else do it. She thinks that’s why she’s never been able to track either one of them down.” Lucy paled. There was no way this was happening. How cruel could life be that it took not only her adoptive parents away from her, but her birth parents as well. Tim had an odd look on his face. Oh God, he’s not done, Lucy thought. “Say the rest Tim. Just say it.” Tim fished out the keys from his pocket that Abigail had given to him. “Your aunt gave these to me before we left. There’s a small servant’s house that is also part of this property, it’s about half a mile from here by the river. It’s run down and hidden by a lot of overgrowth and trees. I have no idea how she got her hands on it, but there’s a ton of hard evidence against Chief Broussard. He’s committed many crimes over the years while he’s been with the department. I didn’t find any evidence that he had committed murder, so there’s a chance your parents might still be alive. Maybe they went into hiding after everything happened. But Luce….there’s no easy way to say this. I didn’t just find evidence of crimes, I also found old family pictures.” Tim looked away, and then back at Lucy. He had to tell her. “Luce...Chief Broussard is your paternal grandfather. And apparently when he found about your existence when you were a small child, he tried to kill you. That’s why after three years, your mother and aunt put you up for adoption. They were trying to hide you, because they were trying to save you.”

Lucy was stunned. She bowed her head and tried to process everything Tim had just told her. Her own grandfather was responsible for all of this. Her own grandfather had tried to kill her. Why? Who the hell would try to kill a small child? Tim looked at her worriedly. “Hey. Lucy, look at me.” She looked back at him with the saddest eyes he’d ever seen. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this. We’ve got this. He’s not going to get anywhere near you, I promise.” Lucy tried to smile, but it didn’t work. “You can’t know that Tim. Look at all he’s already done that we know about...and speaking of that, tell me exactly what you found in that servant’s house.” Tim filled her in. Apparently Chief Broussard was a packrat and like to keep records...of EVERYTHING. Probably in case he had to turn on his henchmen. There was evidence of a drug trafficking ring, a child pedophile ring, major gambling debts, you name it, he had done it. Lucy stood up and paced. Tim could tell she was growing angrier by the second. “How the hell could he get away with all of that for so long?” Tim stood up and grabbed her shoulders, trying to calm her down. “Look around you Lucy. This is a tiny town close to the bayous. You can do damn near anything you want to here and get away with it, because who’s going to see it? Most of the people that live here are probably working with him or terrified of him. Either way, he’s the big fish in the little pond here, and he has power over everyone and everything here.” Lucy crossed her arms and blew her hair out of her face. Tim’s mind went to running his fingers through her hair, but he quickly yanked himself out of that train of thought. “So what the hell do we do? You said there’s a ton of evidence against him in the servant’s house, right? Let’s go get it and take it to the department. We could have him arrested tonight probably.” Tim shook his head and Lucy started to argue, but Tim held up his hand. “We don’t know who we can trust there Lucy. And we can’t prove he did anything to Abigail. Sure, we could get him tonight for the crimes we know he committed. I can call my friend at the FBI and she’ll get down here by tonight. But what about Abigail? We have nothing on him for that. And what about your parents? We still don’t have anything at all indicating what happened to them.” Lucy nodded. Tim thought she was about to cry but then she looked at him...with that fierce warrior look she had that he had come to love. “Ok, so we tear this house apart. It’s the one thing we haven’t done yet. You said to approach this like any other police investigation, right? So that’s what we do. We tear this place apart until we find something. I’ll take the upstairs, you can take the downstairs.” Lucy rushed upstairs before Tim could say a word. In no time at all, he heard her tearing the place apart, true to her word.

Three and a half hours later, Lucy and Tim had found nothing...or almost nothing. Lucy found several old family photo albums, and two framed pictures...one appeared to be their wedding day. The other was a picture of a tiny cottage deep in the bayous. The pictures helped fill in pieces of her past, but did nothing to reveal the fate of her parents, and she found no more evidence she could use against Chief Broussard. Tim had found three handguns, all loaded. But that was all. Tim sent Lucy a text saying dinner was ready. Lucy sighed, knowing she needed to eat and went downstairs. “Frozen Pizza? That’s the best you could come up with?” Tim smirked and handed her a glass of Pinot Noir. “Watch it Boot. I’m not the one who went grocery shopping remember? You want something better, you should have bought better supplies.” A loud crack of thunder caused Lucy to jump. “Hey, let’s go outside on the back porch. It’s deep enough to keep us dry and I bet we’ll get quite a show with this storm from the sound of it.” It sounded cool to Tim so they gathered up the pizzas and the wine and went out on the back porch. And what a show it was. The wind wasn’t too bad, but the rain was heavy. Every few minutes the night sky would light up from the lightning and flash over the river. The thunder made Lucy jump occasionally. Tim pulled her close as they munched on the pizzas. Lucy was lost in thought and from the look on her face, Tim wasn’t going to like what she was about to say. “I’ve been thinking...I think you should go back to L.A.” Tim gaped at her. “I can’t believe you let that come out of your mouth Lucy. You want to tell me why you think it’s a good idea for me to leave you out here all alone...especially now?” Lucy stood up and walked to the porch railing. The wind had picked up slightly and she felt the cooling rain on her face. She didn’t want to tell Tim why she wanted him to leave. While Lucy had been upstairs ransacking that part of the house, she’d realized some things. She cared about Tim...more deeply than she thought possible. And she was about to break...in many ways. She had just lost her adoptive parents a few months ago. She was about to lose her aunt, if not from the attack, then from cancer. By all accounts, it seemed she had lost her birth parents too. She couldn’t bear to lose another person she cared about...especially not Tim. Tim’s phone rang, and he fished it out of his pocket. “Bradford. Oh hey Monica, I’m glad you called.” He walked to the other side of the porch. Monica? None of her business Lucy thought. She took the pizza and wine inside, but came back out on the porch. She liked watching the storm over the river. “Yeah that’s right, I’m down here in Louisiana. In Bowen. How fast can you and your team get here? Let’s just say I remembered your birthday this year, and you’re going to owe me big time once I give you your gift, on a silver platter. Yeah, great. Just shoot me a text or call me when you hit the road. Later.” Tim hung up and walked towards Lucy. She was looking out over the river and she looked so damn beautiful. She also looked totally lost. Tim put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her back against him. “You want to tell me why you want me to leave Luce?” She didn’t say anything. He turned her around and was shocked to see her fighting back tears. “Why do you keep pushing me away Lucy?” Lucy shoved away from him in frustration. “Really Tim? You spent the entire first year we knew each other pushing me as far away as you could, as cruelly as you could! And you get pissed off at me because I want a little space? Really?” Lucy was yelling now, angrier than Tim had ever seen her. Which only resulted in him being pissed off too. “Lucy, damnit, what the hell are you talking about? I wasn’t pushing you away! When I first met you, you were my rookie, my responsibility. I was your T.O.! My job then wasn’t to be your friend, it was to pour all my knowledge of police work into you so at the end of shift you would make it home safely instead of going to the morgue in a fucking body bag. My job was to train you for the streets, and all the crap we see every shift.” By now, Tim and Lucy were both yelling, and breathing hard from all the yelling. Tim walked up to her, and way into her personal space. He tucked her hair behind her ear, softening his voice. “But I’m not your T.O. anymore Lucy. And I’m sick and tired of being just your friend.” Tim looked at her, and seeing she didn’t back away, he grabbed her face with both his hands and kissed her roughly. He stopped only for a second, to see if she’d bolt, but she didn’t. She grabbed his shoulders and kissed him back just as roughly. He backed her up to the porch railing and continued feasting. Lucy braced her hands on the porch railing, and tilted her head back. Tim began kissing her neck and Lucy moaned. “Tim, we can’t do this out here. The storm…” Tim wasn’t listening. And it wasn’t until another loud crack of thunder, almost like a gunshot, sounded that snapped him out of it. With his mouth still on her neck he turned her around and began walking her backwards to the door. Lucy reached behind her and opened the door as Tim kissed her deeply again. He pushed her through the door and slammed it with his foot. They tore each other’s clothes off one piece at a time as they made their way back upstairs and into Lucy’s bedroom. Lucy fell backwards on the bed and Tim was fell on top of her. She giggled, and he smiled at her. But then he turned serious again. He rested his brow against hers. “Luce..”, he softly whispered.. “Do you really want me to leave? Because I just can’t. I can’t leave you here by yourself. Do you know what it would do to me if I left and something happened to you? It would ruin my fucking life. Please don’t make me go.” Lucy traced the side of his face. “Tim, I don’t want you to go. But I can’t...I can’t lose anyone else I care about. I just can’t.” He wondered if that’s really what she meant to say, but he didn’t push it. He kissed her again deeply. “You’re not going to lose me sweetheart. I promise.” He kissed her again, and they slowly made love. After round three, and several hours later, they finally started to fall asleep. It wasn’t until Tim felt himself dozing off that he tried to remember if he had locked the back door. He looked at Lucy. He didn’t feel guilty at all for what happened between them. He realized he had fallen hard for his rookie. And it had happened the first shift they worked together, which was why he had pushed her so damn hard. But he couldn’t keep her at arms length anymore. She was his heartbeat. He only hoped that she would feel the same way. Tim was thirsty, and he reminded himself he needed to check the back door...all the doors honestly. He threw on a tee shirt and sweatpants and trotted downstairs. He went into the kitchen and got a glass of water. He smiled to himself as he drank his water. He couldn’t remember ever being this happy, not even with Isabel. It wasn’t until he had put his glass in the sink that his instincts kicked in. But it was too late. He felt the barrel of a gun pressed to his head, and heard the click. He closed his eyes, his only thought at that point was Lucy. Oh Lucy, I’m so sorry sweetheart.


	7. The Demon Comes Out To Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Lucy confront Chief Broussard. Two will survive...one will not.

Chief Broussard held the gun to the back of Tim’s head. “Ok, nice and slow city cop. Yeah, I know who you are, Officer Tim Bradford. I know who you both are. We’re going to take this nice and slow.” Chief Broussard was taller than Tim, and a bit heavier than Tim. Tim was more agile, but with a gun to his head, there was literally nothing he could do. “Get her down here, now. Now, no one has to die tonight city cop. All you have to do is give me whatever Abigail gave you, that’s it. I’ve no desire to kill either of you. Two big city cops die in this tiny town? This place will be crawling with Feds. All you have to do is give me what I want. Now get her down here.” Chief Broussard jammed the barrel of the gun hard into Tim’s head. Tim silently berated himself. If he had locked the fucking door, he wouldn’t be in this mess. But he had to keep a clear head. His life and Lucy’s life depended on it. But somehow, he had to warn her. “Rookie! I can’t find the damn tea. Where the fuck is it? Get down here now!” Lucy was startled awake by Tim’s yelling. What the hell? Grumbling, she got out of bed, and started to yell back what he could do with his damn tea. She threw on her pj’s, and then froze. Tim NEVER called her rookie. He always called her Chen, Lucy or Boot. And since when did Tim drink tea? He hated the stuff with a passion. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and Lucy was now on full alert. She quietly opened the drawer in the little table beside the bed, and pulled out the gun she had found there. It was an older 9mm Glock. As quiet as a mouse Lucy padded out of the bedroom, her weapon at the ready. 

Lucy quietly made her way downstairs and froze. She saw Tim...and someone had a gun to his head. She figured it must be that bastard Chief Broussard. She had no idea how he got inside the house. The lights were off in the living room so she still had the darkness covering her. She quickly and quietly made her way into the kitchen. “Freeze! Drop your weapon NOW!” Chief Broussard whirled around, his arm around Tim’s neck, his gun still pointed at Tim’s head. “I don’t think so Lucy. Put your weapon down. I don’t want to kill him or you, I just want whatever Abigail gave you. And you’re going to give it to me. I don’t want to kill your boyfriend here, or you, but I will if I have to.” Lucy came into the light. She had her weapon drawn and was staring Chief Broussard down. “I can’t do that Chief. Let Tim go and you can keep your gun on me. Just let him go, please. He’s got nothing to do with any of this.” Chief Broussard got a weird look on his face. “Chief? Don’t you mean Grandpa?” Lucy glared at him, and kept her gun trained on the Chief. He was trying to play mindgames with her, but she wasn’t taking the bait. She had to focus if she and Tim were going to get out of this alive. Tim was looking right at her, but his face was getting pale. “Ease off, he can’t breathe. Please just let him go. If you let him go I’ll put my gun down. What happened to my parents? What did you do to them? Where are they? Are they even still alive? If you tell me nothing else, just please tell me that. Please!” Lucy started to lower her weapon. Tim looked frantically at Lucy. ‘Don’t do it Boot. Don’t lower your weapon. If you give up what little control you have now, we’re both dead. Get your fucking weapon back up.’ Tim’s mind was racing, as he frantically tried to think of a way to communicate with Lucy. Chief Broussard didn’t seem to be listening to her anymore. He was thundering on, still with the gun bearing into Tim’s head, but he also seemed lost in the past. “Why the hell did you have to come back? It was over. You had a good life, didn’t you? Everything was fine. Why the hell did you have to come back here and ruin everything? I lost my son because of you and your damn family!” The Chief kept thundering on and Lucy could tell he was losing it. He was getting more and more over the edge. Tim struggled to breathe, but managed to talk. “Boot. Think like a crook.” Tim got the words out through gritted teeth as the barrel of the gun pressed harder into his head. He hoped like hell she got the message, because it was his last chance. Suddenly Lucy’s mind cleared and her training kicked in. Tim’s words echoed in her mind. ‘Think like a Crook. In order to be a great cop you have to have a little bit of an outlaw in you.’ Her mind raced back to the day when Tim had taught her how to think like a cook, so she’d be able to locate drugs, stolen goods, whatever a crook tried to hide. She heard the words over and over again in her mind. She knew Tim was trying to tell her something. But damnit, what? The only thing that came to Lucy’s mind that had anything to do with outlaws or crooks was the old western movies and tv shows her dad had loved to watch, against her mom’s wishes. He had always loved the shootout scenes. And then it clicked. The shootouts scenes. Tim was trying to tell her she would have to engage Chief Broussard. She would have to take the shot, there was no other way Tim would survive. Lucy raised her weapon again and aimed. “Put that gun down now or I’ll blow his brains out!” Chief Broussard drove the gun painfully into Tim’s head, causing Tim to wince. Lucy looked at Tim waiting for the signal. Tim’s eyes were locked on Lucy’s and he could tell she knew what he had been trying to tell her. She was ready. He squinted his eyes, and Lucy knew. It was now or never. Lucy blocked everything else out of her mind, including Tim, and focused on the demon before her. She had already conquered one demon. And she was determined to conquer this one too. Just as Chief Broussard’s trigger finger twitched, Lucy fired. The Chief’s eyes locked on hers as the first bullet crashed into his forehead, and she fired again. A red mist appeared, and seemed to engulf Tim and Chief Broussard. They both crashed to the ground. Neither one got back up.


	8. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who survived? And who didn't? And another clue reveals itself to the fate of Lucy's parents.

Lucy all but vaulted over the kitchen table. One look at the Chief and she knew he was dead. His brains were splattered all over the wall. She kicked the gun out of his hand anyway. “Tim! Tim! Oh God, please, please don’t take him. Please don’t take him from me. Not now. Please!” Lucy sobbed as she fell to her knees. Tim hadn’t moved, and he was covered in blood. Lucy began checking for a pulse when Tim groaned. Lucy sobbed with relief, and said a silent prayer of thanks. She helped Tim turn over and began checking him for injuries, sure that she had somehow hit him. She began tearing his shirt off. He grunted. “Easy Boot. I’m not hit. If you want my clothes off we can go back upstairs.” Tim grunted again. “Is he dead?” Lucy let out a watery laugh. “Yes, very much so.” Tim started to slowly sit up, and wrapped his arm around Lucy’s shoulder. She leaned into him, closing her eyes, letting out a shudder. She could already feel her adrenaline crashing. He glanced over at the Chief, who was now sprawled out on the ground, with two bullet holes, side by side, in his forehead. “Damn, Boot...double tap. Nice shooting Annie Oakley.” Lucy looked up at him. “Who?” Tim sighed. Sometimes he forgot how much younger Lucy was than him. Of course she didn’t know who Annie Oakley was. He slowly got to his feet, and pulled Lucy to hers. Then he pulled her into his arms and vowed he’d never let go. Finally he did let her go, but only because he had to. “We’ve got to call this in.” Lucy looked worried. “Who are we going to call? We can’t call the Bowen Police Department, we don’t know who we can trust there.” Tim remembered he had left his phone out on the porch, and it was then he noticed the back door was unlocked. Damnit, if only he had locked that fucking door...he grabbed his phone and came back inside. “We aren’t calling the Bowen Police Department.” Tim scrolled through his contacts until he found the name he wanted. He waited, and finally she picked up on the third ring. “Tim? Having fun in Bowen? We’re still on track to be there in the next day, two at the most.” Tim glanced at the Chief’s body. “You might want to speed that up Agent Reynolds.” Monica heard Tim’s cop voice and was suddenly all business. “Yeah? What else do you have for me?” Tim sighed into the phone. “A dead Police Chief.” Monica gasped. “We’ll be there in the next few hours.” Tim ended the call, and it was then he noticed Lucy had left the room. He found her upstairs in her bedroom, crying. “Luce...I know.” He grabbed her and hugged her tight. “No, it’s not that. I mean it is, but it’s not just that. Abigail’s nurse just called me. She didn’t make it.” Tim sighed as Lucy’s sobs grew louder. She had just found her aunt, and had already lost her. He didn't know how much more she could take. But every time he thought she would break, she'd surprise him and prove again just how strong she was. They stayed together, clutching each other, until they heard the knock at the door. 

They both started and trotted downstairs. Tim grabbed his gun, and Lucy did the same. They had to be ready for anything. They were both raising their weapons when the knock came again, louder this time. “Tim! It’s Monica! Open this damn door right now!” Tim rolled his eyes. Monica had always been the bossy type. That was one of the reasons he liked her so much. Tim put his gun on the table by the door and let her in, Lucy did the same. “Glad you could make it to the party.” Monica glanced at him, noticed all the blood, and then peered around Tim. She saw the Chief’s body and glanced back at Tim. “Must have been some party.” She then looked at Lucy. “Officer Lucy Chen I presume?” Lucy just nodded. Monica could tell Lucy was already getting that dazed, traumatized look in her eyes. “Tim, get her some water. Lucy, you come over here and sit with me. And then you can both tell me what the hell is going on.” By this time a dozen FBI agents had flooded into the house. All looking at the Chief, and then at Monica, waiting for their assignments. Tim filled her in on everything. While Monica sat with Lucy getting her statement, Tim went to grab the keys to the servant’s house. He gave them to Monica, who promptly sent half of her team to find the house. The storm was letting up, but she didn’t give a damn about that. She’d been trying to nail the Bowen Police Chief for years, and she wasn’t about to miss this opportunity Tim had handed her on a silver platter. After giving her statement, Lucy just continued to sit on the couch. She was in a daze. Everything else around her was buzzing, but to her it was like everything was in slow motion. Tim was at the kitchen table, giving Monica his statement. Monica was excited, like a kid on Christmas morning, hanging on Tim’s every word. “I’ve been trying to get that bastard for years. He’s got quite the reputation in Louisiana. But he always managed to slip through the cracks. We never had enough on him to arrest him for anything, even though we damn well knew all the shit he was up to. But we could never prove it.” Tim nodded, looking down at his coffee. “Well, now you have everything you could possibly want on him. Not that it makes much difference now. I think he killed Lucy’s aunt. She passed away just a little while ago. But I can’t prove he did it.” Tim drank his coffee, looking defeated. Monica grasped his arm. “Tim, you got him. He’s never going to hurt anyone else again. And with all the evidence you turned over to us, we’ll have that damn police department shutdown by lunchtime tomorrow. There are definitely other officers of his involved in all this bullshit.” Tim shook his head. “I didn’t get him. Lucy did. She saved my life..again.” Monica glanced at Lucy, who still hadn’t moved from the couch. Monica had brought a cup of coffee to her, but Lucy was simply holding it, staring at nothing. Monica glanced back at Tim. “What else is going on in that brain of yours? I know there’s something else. Talk to me.” Tim looked at her. “This isn’t over. Chief Broussard might be dead, but we still haven’t found anything at all on Lucy’s parents. I know her. She won’t leave here until she finds out what happened to them. But even after everything that’s happened, after everything we uncovered, there’s still no leads as to the fate of her parents. There’s nothing.” Tim sighed, and Monica looked down at her coffee. The disappearance of Lucy’s parents had turned into a cold case long ago. Tim was right...there was literally nothing to follow in that case. Monica had tried, as had several agents before her, and all turned up nothing. Lucy glanced at them. She overheard their conversation. And Tim was right. There was no way in hell she could leave without finding out what happened to her parents. She looked down into her coffee, and then looked up. She set her mug down on the table and rushed upstairs. She had a hunch, and as Tim had taught her, you always go with your gut. You always play your hunch. Lucy went into the bedroom and began looking at all the framed photos she found. They had been tossed haphazardly on the floor earlier when she and Tim were in bed. She was moving pictures around until she found it...the tiny framed picture of the small cottage deep in the bayou. She pried it out of the frame, and turned it over. There was handwriting on the picture but she couldn’t make it out. It was then that she noticed a key taped inside the picture frame. She headed for the stairs with the picture and frame. She was playing her hunch alright. She got downstairs as Agent Reynolds was walking out the door.. “Agent Reynolds! Wait!” Agent Reynolds turned to see Lucy rushing towards her. “Officer Chen? What’s wrong? What is it?” Monica looked questioningly at Tim, who just shrugged. He had no idea what Lucy was up to. Lucy handed her the picture. “I need your help finding this cottage. It’s obviously in one of the bayous, but I have no idea where. Please help me find it. I think my parents might be there.” It was then that Tim glanced down and saw the key taped inside the frame. Hope began to invade his heart. Monica took the picture from Lucy. “Give me a couple of days. I promise you Officer Chen, I will track this down, whatever it takes.” Lucy gave her a grateful, small smile, and Monica left, the rest of her team already loading up all the evidence that Tim had turned over to them into the FBI vans. Lucy fingered the key, hoping against hope. They had to be there. They just had to be. 

Monica had left some of her team behind at the house to secure the crime scene. She assured him that neither he nor Lucy would run into any problems over this. It was a clean shoot and obviously self defense. Tim packed a bag for him and Lucy. They couldn’t stay here while the scene was processed. Not only that, Tim had no doubt word would spread of the shooting like wildfire, and he wanted Lucy far away from Bowen in case anyone decided to retaliate. They left her rental car at the house, got in his rental car, and headed for Baton Rouge. A few hours later they were safely inside a hotel room, which Tim had paid cash for. Lucy was in the shower, and Tim was sitting in a chair, finishing the last bit of a bottle of water. He had just gotten off the phone with Sgt. Grey, who was stunned at the latest developments. He relaxed a little bit though when Tim had reassured him that both he and Lucy were fine, just a little shaken up. Tim had showered before Lucy. The desk clerk hadn’t even batted an eye when they showed up, looking like they’d just been mugged, asking for a room. Tim felt so drained. Chief Broussard was dead...and Lucy had been the one to take him down. While he wished he had been the one to take Chief Broussard down, perhaps Lucy would better find some closure this way. She had ended the man who had tried to end her, who had ruined so many lives, and who had ripped apart her family when she was just a small child. Still though, he knew there was one more thing yet to be done. They had to find her parents, or at least find out what became of them. Tim would do whatever it took to make that happen. Lucy emerged from the bathroom, in a tee shirt and shorts, her hair still wet. She headed straight for Tim and climbed into his lap. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. She tried not to cry, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. So Tm simply held her until she had almost cried herself to sleep. He was worn out, and he knew she was too. He carried her to the bed and tucked her in. He quickly shed his clothes, got into bed with her, and pulled her close. And finally, Tim started crying too. He had almost died tonight, and the woman who made his heart beat had saved his life, almost sacrificing herself for him in the process. Tim cradled Lucy in his arms, desperately thankful they were both still alive. He drifted off to sleep thinking about a little cottage hidden deep in the bayou.


	9. The Truth Will Set You Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Lucy find the cottage from the picture in Abigail's house. And that's not all they find.

Tim and Lucy were lost...or at least he thought so. Monica had delivered on her promise to Lucy and had located the cottage in the bayou. She had given Tim exact coordinates and directions to find it. But this was bayou country, and getting lost is a lot more common out here than being found. Tim had wanted to wait and let Monica send her team in first to locate the cottage and check it out, but Lucy had flatly refused. She wasn’t going to sit around and wait on anything anymore. She knew, in her heart, that her birth parents were most likely tucked away in the cottage in the bayou. And she was going to find them, with or without Tim. Tim glanced at Lucy, and for the third time, stated his case against this. “I don’t like this Lucy. We could be walking into a trap or an ambush. We don’t know anything about this place. Hell..I’m not even sure we can find it. We need to turn around and wait for Monica and her team to get here.” Lucy glared back at him. “Fine, let me out of the car right now and you can go back and wait for Monica and her team.” Tim was driving slowly on the winding, dirt road. Lucy started to open her door. “Damnit Lucy! Just stop. According to Monica’s directions the cottage should be closeby. Let’s just park here and walk the rest of the way in. We should be close to it by now anyway.” Tim knew when to admit defeat. He found a narrow patch of mossy grass to park on, on the side of the dirt road. He got out of the car and so did Lucy. “Get your gun out Boot.” Lucy laughed. “Really Tim? What are you possibly expecting to happen way out there? No one knows we’re out here.” Lucy looked around at the big, mossy Oaks. The hot sun was streaming through the trees. The water looked almost black. Tim rolled his eyes. “That’s the whole point Boot. In a place like this? Who the hell knows who or what is actually out here. We need to be ready for anything. Cop eyes, remember? Now get your damn gun out.” Just then Tim glanced at the water nor far from the road and saw bubbles come to the surface. Slowly, lazily, like he had all day long, the head of an alligator broke the surface of the water. The rest of his body soon became visible as he swam through the water. Tim nodded at Lucy, and then inclined his head to the water. They both watched the gator swim lazily away. “Like I said Boot, get your gun out.” Lucy retrieved her weapon from the car. 

The air was hot as hell and humid as hell. Tim and Lucy had only been walking for about 15 minutes, but it felt more like 15 hours in this damn heat. Tim was about to put his foot down and make them both go back to the car when Lucy froze. “Tim, look!” Her voice barely above a whisper, Lucy pointed in front of her, slightly to the right. There, almost completely hidden from view, due to the moss covered oaks, was a tiny cottage. It was the cottage in the picture that Lucy had found, with the key tucked inside the frame...a key which was now in Lucy’s pocket. Tim jerked her behind a tree. He kissed her hard. “Ok, here’s how we’re going to play this. We have no idea who, if anyone is inside that cottage. We flank it on both sides. Once we determine there’s no threat, then, and only then, will we enter. Got it?” Lucy nodded. Tim was using his T.O.’s voice, and Lucy knew that left no room for debate or argument. In her heart, she knew Tim was right. They had to proceed with caution. But in her little girl’s heart, she knew her parents were inside that cottage. Tim and Lucy quietly came out from behind the tree, their guns drawn. The cottage had a tiny, covered front porch. Tim went first, vaulted up the steps, and crouched by the tiny window. He raised his head just barely to get a look inside, but he didn’t see anyone. He looked back at Lucy, and nodded his head. Lucy then quietly rushed up the steps, and crouched on the other side of the door. Tim raised his head again, just barely. This time, through the window he saw a woman. She was holding a dishtowel in her hands. She seemed to be talking to someone he couldn’t see in the next room. She turned just enough for him to see her profile, and Tim let out a gasp. He realized in that instant he was looking at a slightly older version of Lucy Chen. Tim looked back at Lucy and a wide smile broke out on his face. It was the biggest smile Lucy had ever seen him make. He tucked his weapon in his ankle holster. “I think you better put that gun away Boot.” His whisper was so low she barely heard him. “And then I think you better knock first. It’s rude to just barge into someone’s house.” Lucy looked at him. She was excited, and also terrified. She couldn’t take another setback. Lucy gave Tim her gun, which he tucked into the back of his shorts, and then stood up. She looked at Tim nervously, who smiled encouragingly at her. “Go on Luce. I think it’s way past time you met your mother.” Lucy knocked gently on the old, wooden, screen door. She waited, waited for what felt like a lifetime, but in reality was only a couple of minutes. Cautiously, the door cracked open. Lucy heard a gasp, and the woman threw open the door and stared through the screen door in shock. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She’d know her daughter anywhere. The memory of the little girl she lost so long ago forever burned into her brain. “Livvy? Oh my God, Livvy Rose!” The woman’s trembled whisper barely reached Lucy’s ears before Lucy found herself wrapped in the sobbing woman’s embrace. Her sobs got louder and louder. Lucy held on tight and began sobbing too. Tim heard someone else coming through the house, and heard a man’s voice. He started to get Lucy’s gun back out when he realized who the man was...it was Remy, Lucy’s birth father. “’Melia? ‘Melia! What happened, I could hear you crying all the way from…” He stopped in mid sentence, sure his eyes were playing tricks on him. He couldn’t believe what or whom he was staring at. It couldn’t be, and yet it was. It was his baby girl! His beloved Olivia Rose, who he had nicknamed Livvy Rose, or sometimes called Livvy, when she was just a baby. He rushed outside and grabbed both Lucy and Ameila in his embrace. Lucy was hugging her parents as hard as they were hugging her, and all of them were crying. It was the most heartwarming sight Tim had ever seen in his life. And before he knew it, he felt a tear rolling down his cheek too. He quickly wiped it away before anyone saw it. He couldn’t stop smiling. Amelia finally pulled back from her daughter and cradled Lucy’s face in her hands. “How? How is this happening? How did you get here? How did you even find us?” It was then that Amelia noticed Tim and quickly turned around to face him, fear evident on her face. Tim took control of the situation. He was still smiling. “Ma’am, I’m Officer Tim Bradford with the LAPD. The woman you’re hugging is my partner, Officer Lucy Chen. She’s also with the LAPD. And she’s also your daughter, Livvy Rose. We’ve been looking for you both for a long time.” Remy spoke up. “How did you find us? Did he follow you? We better get inside now.” Remy looked around uneasily. Tim tried to calm his fears. “You’re right sir, we definitely need to go inside. We have a lot to tell you.” As they started to go inside, Lucy went in first, followed by Amelia, Remy pulled Tim back. “Does she know?” Tim looked at him, confused. “Does who know what?” Remy smirked at him. “I still look at Melia that way. Does Livvy….um I mean Lucy, does Lucy know you’re in love with her?” Tim just stared at him, then decided to be up front and honest with this man. “I think she suspects, but no, I haven’t told her. It’s extremely complicated. But that’s not important right now. This is. Finding you and Amelia, you have no idea what this means to her. Lucy just lost her adoptive parents a few months ago in a car accident.” Remy sighed and sadly shook his head. His poor little girl. Remy nodded then put a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “Now I have one more question…” Tim was pretty sure he knew what that question would be. Remy looked Tim square in the eyes. “Tell me that son of a bitch who happens to be my father is dead.” Tim nodded. “He is definitely dead sir, but I’m not the one to thank. Lucy did that.” Remy looked shocked. “Let’s go inside Tim, sounds like this is a story that requires a stiff drink...for all of us.” Tim nodded and followed Remy inside.

Remy practically had to pry Lucy out of Melia’s arms. “Melia, honey, let the girl breathe. Now who wants what? I’m personally going for a scotch.” Tim raised his hand at that, because this conversation definitely needed a stiffer drink than whiskey neat. Melia and Lucy each went for a vodka tonic. Remy made the drinks for everyone and brought them to the tiny kitchen table. He took a sip of his scotch. “Now, let’s hear this story of how you found us, and how my father is dead.” Lucy looked at Tim, and then back at Remy. “Umm before we get into all that there’s something you two should know.” She grasped her mother’s hand and looked into her eyes.” I’m really sorry to have to tell you this, but Abigail is dead. We don’t know exactly how it happened, but she’s gone.” Amelia gasped and looked at Remy, who’s eyes had turned very sad. “You know about Abigail? How? And how did she die?” Lucy took a sip of her drink before continuing. Tim was watching her like a hawk. “She tracked me down. I received a certified letter from her shortly after my adoptive parents were killed in a car accident. At the time, I had no idea who she was. When I was cleaning out my parent’s house, I found my adoption papers. That discovery combined with the letter brought me to Louisiana.” Amelia sighed sadly and looked down. “Oh Abby.” She sobbed briefly before looking back at Lucy. “Abby was always the braver one of the two of us. There were so many times I wanted to find you, but was afraid if I did he would find you also. But I somehow always knew Abby would at some point find you. She loved you as much as we do.” Lucy shuddered and continued on. “There’s something else you should know. She didn’t have long left to live anyway. She was in very poor health. That’s what prompted her to find me in the first place.” And from there, Lucy began telling her parents the story of how she came to Louisiana, how everyone in town had looked at her like they’d seen a ghost, how she confronted Chief Broussard when she found out his secrets, and what finally led her and Tim to their cottage. Remy and Amelia couldn’t believe their ears. Remy choked back tears. “I’m not sorry he’s dead. My father was like Dr. Jekyall and Mr. Hyde. But I am sorry you had to be the one to confront him. I’m so sorry Livvy.” And from there, Amelia told Lucy the story of her beginning. Amelia and Remy had fallen in love in high school. Much to his father’s objections, because his father didn’t want Remy “mixing the races” as his father had called it. Despite his father’s objections, Remy and Amelia continued to see each other. Things didn’t get heated between the two families until Amelia found out she was pregnant. She and Remy had run off and gotten married, hoping that would show everyone, Remy’s family especially, that they were serious about their relationship. Amelia’s family was accepting of the relationship, but Remy’s family wasn’t. Amelia’s parents and twin sister, along with Amelia became the subject of brutal, racist attacks and harassment. When her pregnancy became obvious, she was kept at home, not allowed to go anywhere. When Olivia Rose was finally born, to protect her identity, she was given Amelia’s last name. The baby was also kept out of sight. The harassment continued and Abigail and Amelia’s parents decided to leave Bowen. But they couldn’t convince their stubborn daughters to come with them. Both girls were 18 at the time. Finally their parents left, but Abigail and Amelia stayed. It wasn’t until one night when Chief Broussard drove by their house in his patrol car and saw Little Livvy Rose outside playing with Amelia that he first began to suspect something. When he discovered his son had fathered a child with someone of a different race, he went ballistic. He confronted his son, and they got into a horrible fight. Later that evening, Remy saw his father loading a gun, and leave the house. He knew exactly where his father was headed. Remy got to the house first, and Amelia, Remy, and Livvy Rose fled Bowen that night. Abigail hid in the servant’s house until the middle of the next day. Remy and Amelia, fearing for their daughter’s safety, arranged a quick adoption. The fake adoption papers had been Abigail’s idea. After Livvy Rose was adopted, and her real adoption hidden, Remy and Amelia took shelter in the tiny cottage in the bayou. And they just never went back. 

Lucy hugged Amelia. Tim took that as his cue. He took his glass to think, having downed his scotch while Amelia had told Lucy everything that had transpired all those years ago. “I hate to be the one to bust up this reunion, but, I need to get back to the house.” Tim shook Remy’s hand, and hugged Amelia. Lucy followed him outside to the tiny porch. “Tim, why are you leaving?” He looked at Lucy and smiled. “Someone’s got to clean up your mess. Monica took care of the scene downstairs, but the upstairs is still trashed. Besides, you need some time alone with your parents. And they clearly need time alone with you. You guys need to reconnect...it’s been a long time coming. Stay as long as you want..they can bring you back to the house if they want, or I can come pick you up. If it gets dark and you’re still here, just stay here. I’ll come pick you up in the morning.” He stepped towards her and kissed her forehead. “I really like your parents. Here, keep this just in case. See ya Boot.” Tim handed her her gun and trotted down the steps and began walking the dirt road back to the car. Lucy watched him walk away. She couldn’t help but feel he was leaving because of her. Her mother came out onto the porch. “I really like that young man. You can tell he has a good heart. Have you told him you’re in love with him yet?” Lucy turned towards her mother. “Umm...no, I haven’t. It’s really complicated mama.” Amelia gasped as Lucy’s eyes went wide with shock. Neither could believe what Lucy had just said. Gently her mother took her shoulders. “Lucy, listen. I have loved you every second of every day of your life. I would celebrate your birthdays and hoped you were somewhere celebrating too. But you don’t have to call me that. I may have given you life, but your adoptive parents gave you a life. I’m sure they loved you just as much as Remy and I do. I won’t trample on their memory.” Lucy smiled sadly and hugged her mother. “I never called her mama. She was always mom to me. I couldn’t call her mama, it just didn’t feel right. Probably because I had very vague memories of you even when I was a child, and I remember calling you mama. I never understood those memories until now.” Amelia hugged her daughter tight. They held hands and went back inside the tiny cottage. Amelia couldn’t wait to get to know the daughter she had loved and lost, but had found again.


	10. Home Is Where The Heart Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy makes some decisions...about Tim, and about where her life goes from here.

Tim glanced at his phone again, for the 3rd time. Still no calls from Lucy. It was after dark now and she still hadn’t made it back from the cottage in the bayou. He was worried, although he knew he shouldn’t be. She had needed some private time with her parents, as much as they needed some private time with her. And truthfully, he had needed some time away from Lucy. He had realized while out there in the bayou that he had lost all perspective and objectivity when it came to Lucy. Things had changed between them while they’d been here in Louisiana. He knew where his feelings stood on what had happened between them, but he wasn’t sure where Lucy’s stood. While she hadn’t seemed to mind the change in their relationship, she hadn’t given him much indication that she wanted to continue in that direction. He had finally finished getting the upstairs of the farmhouse back to rights, and realized he was starving. He went into the kitchen to see what he could throw together for dinner. He opened the refridgerator and just stared. He knew exactly what he wanted, but she wasn’t there. “It’s not like she’s in the damn fridge.” He muttered to himself and shut the door. He decided to go to Bob’s On The Bayou. Despite being a little hole in the wall bar, they had really good food.

About fifteen minutes later Tim was staring moodily into his beer, waiting for his order. While he was happy for Lucy reuniting with her birth family, it also left him unsettled. He had no idea what her plans were at this point. Would she even return to L.A.? Would she move out here and start a new life with her newfound family? What about her law enforcement career? Tim realized the more he thought of Lucy not returning to L.A., the more panicked he was getting. He couldn’t imagine his life without Lucy. And he couldn’t imagine his life anywhere else but L.A. 

Just then he heard a noise over the entrance of the bar. He glanced up and saw Lucy walk in. As soon as she spotted him she smiled. He did his best not to smile back at her, and took a long drink from his beer, not looking at her. He was so relieved she was safe. “Really Bradford? I come all the way here to check up on you and you can’t even look at me?” He smiled into his beer, knowing she had thrown his words back in his face...he had said the same thing to her the night he had arrived in Bowen, when he had found her in this bar. She was getting really good at one upping him. He was going to have to fix that. He looked up and smirked. “Nicely done Boot.” Lucy sat down at the little table Tim was seated at...the same one Lucy had been seated at when he had arrived in Bowen and found her that night. Just then the waitress brought out Tim’s food. She asked Lucy if she wanted anything. “Umm...ooo that looks good. I’ll have what he’s having.” The waitress left to put Lucy’s order in. Tim was doing his best to be somewhat distant with Lucy but he was finding it harder and harder to do so. “Where are your parents? Are they back at the farmhouse?” Lucy sighed and shook her head no. “They weren’t quite ready to go back to that house yet. They dropped me off at the house, but didn’t go inside. They’re back in the bayou. You weren’t there, so, I came looking for you. Figured you’d be here.” The waitress brought out Lucy’s food and beer. Lucy took a long drink of her beer, and then dug hungrily into her food. “Oh God, this is so good! This is the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever had!” Tim agreed. They continued with the small talk until they were both stuffed. “Ready to get out of here Boot?” Tim left some money on the table, along with another huge tip for the waitress. He followed Lucy out the door. 

“Boot, where’s your car?” Lucy turned to look at him, the night breeze catching her hair and blowing it slightly away from her face. Tim wished he was running his fingers through her hair. “Oh, I walked here, from the farmhouse. It’s not far, and I wanted to clear my head.” Lucy also had done a lot of thinking about her and Tim since he had left her at her parents’ cottage. She had several life decisions to make, but in the end, she knew where her heart belonged, and where her home was. Now she just had to work up the nerve to tell Tim. “You walked here? Great example to set; a woman, walking alone, at night, in a town she doesn’t know well, to a bar.” Lucy rolled her eyes, and got in the passenger seat of Tim’s rental car. Tim got in and started the car and drove them back to the farmhouse.

They went inside and Tim locked the door. Lucy glanced around. It looked normal. You’d never know the horrific events from a couple of nights ago had even happened. Lucy saw Tim’s suitcase by the front door. She looked at him questioningly. “You’re leaving? Already?” Tim avoided her glance and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. He came back into the living room, drinking his water. “Yeah, I’ve got to get back Luce. My vacation days are almost up. I talked to Monica earlier and we’re both cleared in the shooting. I gave her your contact info in case she has any more follow up questions. So, since everything’s done, you don’t need me to stay, do you?” Tim was looking at her intently. Lucy could read between the lines. She knew what he was really asking...but still she was scared to answer. She wasn’t scared of Tim. She was scared of herself. Because despite everything, despite how much she had conquered and overcome, she still sometimes felt like damaged goods, and she felt Tim deserved better. She didn’t answer him, instead looking down at the floor. He smiled, sadly. He went up to her and kissed her forehead. His voice was soft when she heard it. “It’s ok Luce. You’re still my partner. You’re still my friend...my best friend in fact. We went though some pretty intense shit while we were out here. That doesn’t change how I feel. I need to get to bed, I’ve got an early flight tomorrow.” He kissed her gently on the lips, and went upstairs. He went into the guest bedroom and shut the door. 

Lucy sighed and went onto the back porch overlooking the river. The wind was picking up, and she could smell rain in the air. A few seconds later, a loud clap of thunder caused her to jump. She knew she was in love, or at least on her way to being in love, with Tim. Why did it scare her to death? Tim had never done anything to hurt her. He was there for her, every time she needed him, no questions asked. Ok, sometimes he did ask questions, more like interrogate her, but still. He was always there, no matter what. He pushed her to be a better cop, because he knew she could handle it and he knew she could do it. He always seem to know what she needed, without her even having to tell him. She knew he was completely in love with her, and would do anything for her. She’d never had anyone like that before. Lucy gripped the railing and started crying. “Damnit, I wish I knew what to do.” Suddenly a strong gust of wind knocked into Lucy, hard enough to make her stumble back from the railing. Well hell, talk about a sign. Lucy gathered her courage and went back inside, locking the door. She knew what she wanted, and she was going to go get it, right now.

Lucy first went into her bedroom and shut the door. She went into the small bathroom that was connected to her bedroom, took a quick shower, and dressed in her pj’s. She quietly padded into the guest bedroom. She opened the door, and just stared. Tim was already fast asleep, sitting up in bed, his cell phone in his lap. To Lucy, he looked completely exhausted, and a little sad. She could make out his exhausted features from the light being on in the small hallway, even though the lights were off in Tim’s bedroom. She started to close the door and go back to her room. Be brave, she told herself. Instead she turned the light off in the hallway. She walked to the bed, took Tim’s phone and put it on the small table beside the bed. She crawled into his lap. Tim grunted and wrapped his arms around her, but other than that, he didn’t fully wake up. Soon Lucy was fast asleep in his arms. 

Tim was startled awake by a loud clap of thunder. Then he realized he wasn’t alone. He knows he was by himself when he went to bed and fell asleep. But now, he had a sound asleep Lucy Chen wrapped around him. He barely remembered her coming into the bed. He groaned softly...how much more could he take? He wanted Lucy more than anything, and he had given her the opening to tell him what she wanted, earlier that evening. She hadn’t taken it. Another loud crack of thunder sounded, and this time, it woke Lucy up. She moaned and sat up, sleepily rubbing her eyes. Once her eyes focused, she saw Tim staring at her. He wasn’t going to make this easy on her, and she knew it. “Tim, remember when you asked me if I needed you to stay?” He nodded, but didn’t say anything, still looking at her. She looked away and then looked back at him. “I don’t need you to stay.” He nodded and looked down. She grabbed his chin and gently brought his head back up so he could see her face. “I don’t need you to stay because you think you have to stay here to protect me or because I need you for something. I want you to stay because you want to be here with me. I want you here with me. I don’t want you to leave.” That was all Tim needed to hear. He grabbed her face just as she grabbed his and they kissed each other hard. Lucy whimpered, as Tim began feasting on her. He drug her pajama top over her head as she pulled his tee shirt over his head. Their tongues tangled with each other as he flipped her underneath him. She yanked his shorts off as he yanked the bottoms of her pj’s off, never breaking the kiss. Finally Lucy broke away, breathing hard and cradled his face in her hands. “I think I love you, Tim Bradford.” He smiled gently at her and pressed his brow to hers. “Same goes Boot.” Then he kissed her again, hard. They made love four times that night, with the storm raging outside. It was a long time before sleep finally claimed both of them, tangled in each other’s arms. 

Tim blinked his eyes, slowly opening them. It sounded like the storm was still going on. He glanced down and saw that Lucy was still asleep. He gently kissed her forehead. They had worn each other out last night. His heart was still dancing in his chest, so relieved and so happy that Lucy had finally been honest with him and told him how she felt. He didn’t know how they’d handle it at work, but at the moment, he didn’t care. They’d work it out somehow. Suddenly Tim grabbed his phone. “Ah shit. Damnit.” Lucy groaned, still half asleep. “Lovely pillow talk you have there Bradford. What’s wrong?” Tim sighed and put his phone back on the table. “I forgot to cancel my flight. Guess I’ll be paying for two tickets for myself now.” Lucy giggled. “Better make that three. I’m going home too.” Tim scooted down to where they were at eye level with each other. “You’re going back to L.A.?” Lucy smiled. “Yes, that’s where my job is. That’s where you are. And wherever you are is where my heart is.” Tim grinned as he leaned into kiss her. The kiss turned serious and they made love four more times that morning. They finally came up for air after lunch. After lunch they had cleaned up the house, showered together (and had their first round of shower sex), and gotten dressed. Tim called the airline and got them both a flight out of New Orleans later that evening. Lucy was writing a note on a notepad for her parents. She had given them a set of keys for the house, and told them whenever they were ready, the house was theirs. “What about the house, and what about your parents? I don’t know, I guess, I thought maybe you’d stay here, at least for a while.” Lucy glanced up at him. She finished writing the note, and then walked to Tim, wrapping her arms around him. He pulled her close. She looked up at him. “I could never stay here Tim. Especially not after what happened. I’ll definitely come back sometimes to see my parents, and maybe you could come with me? They want to come to L.A. too. But I could never live here. My life is back in L.A., and you’re in L.A.” Tim smiled and kissed her hard. They grabbed their bags and headed out the door. Lucy took one last look around before closing the door and locking the house up tight. Her roots might be in Louisiana, but her heart was definitely in California, or would be, in a few hours. 

Several hours later, Tim and Lucy were winging their way back to California. He had made sure they got seats next to each other on the plane. Her head was on his shoulder, and she was fast asleep. He had been holding her hand since takeoff, and hadn’t let go. So much had happened in Louisiana. But ultimately, Tim was glad he had made the trip. Because it was in Louisiana where he and Lucy had discovered each other as more than just partners and friends. Tim sighed happily and felt himself drifting off to sleep. He hoped he got a good nap on the flight, because both he and Lucy had to work tomorrow. As his eyes closed he wondered what tomorrow would bring, but for the first time, he was excited about the possibilities instead of dreading them. Boy if he only knew...he and Lucy were definitely in for a few more surprises upon their return to L.A


	11. LAPD's FInest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy and Tim are back in Los Angeles. And they're in for a few surprises.

Tim had dropped Lucy off at her apartment late last night after arriving in L.A. They’d had a very smooth flight home with no delays which Tim was ultimately grateful for. He probably would have gotten home earlier than he did if he and Lucy hadn’t had a serious make out session in his truck in the airport parking lot. He had even gone down on her. Tim grinned wickedly at the memory as he pulled into the parking lot of the Mid Wilshire Police Station. He was glad to be back in L.A. and ready to get back to what he considered normal...except for his relationship with Lucy. That was definitely at a new normal, and he was loving it. He saw Lucy pulling into the parking lot just as he was. They parked next to each other. They had both been running late and were already in uniform. Tim got out and was on cloud nine, a huge, bright smile on his face. But Lucy was frowning. “Hey Luce..what’s wrong? What is it?” Lucy just gaped at him. “Way to pay attention to your surroundings Tim. Look around, doesn’t the parking lot seem unusually full to you?” Tim glanced around. Lucy was right. There were way more cars here than normal. He wondered what was going on. He inwardly groaned. He really was hoping for a nice, normal day, with little to no surprises. He had his fill of surprises back in Louisiana. Though not all of those surprises had been bad.

“Let’s go, we’re already running late.” He and Lucy walked together towards the entrance. He really wanted to hold her hand, but he knew better. They had both decided to keep their new relationship classified, at least for now. They hurried inside, and went to the locker rooms. After putting their personal items in their lockers, they walked quickly towards the roll call room. But before they got there, Tim quickly pulled Lucy around the corner into a hallway. He looked around to make sure they were alone, and then he kissed her. Lucy moaned and slid her tongue into his mouth. Tim groaned and kissed again. “That should hold you for now Boot.” Lucy laughed. “Hold me? Really?” Tim smiled. “I know we just got back into town and you probably want to see Jackson and..” Lucy interrupted him. “Your place. 8 o’clock.” Tim grinned. “Definitely. Now, let’s go since we really are late.” They rushed into the roll call room...and stopped cold. 

The roll call room was packed. And as Tim glanced around, he knew something big was up. Sgt. Grey spotted Tim and Lucy and smiled, and started clapping. The other officers and guests all turned around and the roll call room erupted into thunderous applause, whistles, and shouts. Lucy smiled nervously. She was looking around the roll call room, but said to Tim, “What the hell is going on, why are all these people here? Oh My God, My parents are here! And look! Monica, er I mean Agent Reynolds is here too and OH MY God, is that the Governor? Wow. Even the Chief is here!” Tim was also looking around. He looked straight ahead, but said, “I have no idea Boot. Either something awesome is about to happen or we are in really deep shit. Let’s go take our seats.” 

As Tim and Lucy were making their way to their seats, Sgt. Grey signaled for everyone to sit down. The room quieted down. “Uh, except you two. Officer Bradford, Officer Chen, front and center. Now.” Lucy glanced back nervously at Tim, who motioned for her to go to the podium where Sgt, Grey, the LAPD Chief, and the California Governor were all standing as well. The LAPD Chief approached the podium. “As you all know, we usually like to keep these events formal, but in the space of saving time, and because I know Officers Bradford and Chen must be exhausted from their adventures in Louisiana, we’re doing things a bit differently today.” The Governor took the podium, and Sgt. Grey handed him a plaque, and a medal. “Officer Lucy Chen. It is my honor to present to you today the LAPD Medal Of Valor, for your outstanding work in Louisiana. You solved a decades old missing person case, brought down a corrupted Police Chief and his equally corrupted department, and saved the life of your partner, almost completely on your own, with barely any resources. You set a powerful example of what law enforcement can be, and what a rookie is capable of.” The Governor handed Lucy her plaque and hung the medal around her neck. Lucy was stunned, she couldn’t believe it. She glanced at her parents who were beaming with pride. And Tim couldn’t have been any prouder either. He had trained several rookies over the years, but none of them had taken on the job with the same fire Lucy had, and none of them had found as much success so early in their careers. Lucy Chen had just made history in the LAPD, by being the first rookie ever to be awarded the Medal Of Valor. Lucy shook the Governor’s hand, and said shyly “Well, thank you sir, but I had a little help.” The Governor smiled. “Yes, ma’am I’m getting to that.” Then he turned to Tim. “Officer Tim Bradford. It is my honor to also award you the LAPD Medal Of Valor for your outstanding work in Louisiana. On your own time, and your own dime, you traveled to Louisiana to back your partner up. You not only helped her in solving the missing person’s case and taking down corruption in Bowen, but you also reunited her with her missing family. I have to say, I wish more police officers were as strong of a partner as you are. You trained your rookie well. You trained her so well in fact that she’s found more success in her first year of law enforcement than many have found after a decade of being in law enforcement. That speaks highly to the value of your role as a Training Officer. Well done.” The Governor gave Tim his plaque and hung the medal around his neck. Tim shook his hand. Lucy smiled. She was so proud of Tim, and so happy for him. The room erupted again as their fellow officers and guests clapped and cheered. The Governor made a few closing remarks, and then departed. The LAPD Chief came over to speak to Lucy and Tim, who were still at the podium. “You two make quite a team. You hold your heads high. You set a strong example of what I want my officers to strive to be.” The Chief then made his closing remarks and left. Tim and Lucy looked at each other and grinned stupidly at each other. “Well, Boot, don’t let this go to your head. You’re still getting quizzed on the rook book, and getting the warbags.” Lucy rolled her eyes. “I’m not your Boot anymore Officer Bradford.” He smiled. They left the podium, and were rushed by their fellow officers. Lucy hugged her friends and quickly caught them up on everything (except her relationship with Tim), and then ran to her parents and gave them both a huge hug. “I can’t believe you guys are here! How did you even get here?” Her parents smiled and glanced at Monica, who came to join them. “Umm, that would be me. I got your Sgt’s contact info and called him. I told him what an outstanding job you guys had done. I then called the Chief, and the Governor and told them the same thing.” Tim had wandered over to join Lucy and her parents after catching Nolan, Harper, Lopez, and West up on what had happened in Louisiana...with a few more details than what Lucy had given them (except of course about his relationship with Lucy.) He caught the last part of the conversation, shook his head, and smiled. Monica, he should have known. Monica was a force to be reckoned with. Whatever she wanted to happen, she would make happen, period. She’d always been that way. 

Sgt. Grey came over to join them. “I don’t have to repeat what everyone else has already said...but I will anyway. You guys did a fabulous job in Louisiana. Officer Chen, you keep it up and you’ll be running this department someday.” Sgt. Grey then walked back to the podium. “Ok, people I hate to break up the welcome home party for our supercops, but I’m sure the Orange County deputies and Highway Patrol officers who are covering for us during this little get together would like to get back to their regularly scheduled activities, so let’s get out there. Be safe everyone.” Monica hugged Tim and Lucy goodbye and headed off to parts unknown, on another case that she couldn’t talk about. Sgt. Grey offered to drive Lucy’s parents to a hotel so they could get settled. Lucy (and Tim), would meet them later when the shift was over. She would eventually get to Tim’s however. Lucy hugged her parents goodbye, and Tim hugged her mother and shook her father’s hand. They followed everyone else out of the roll call room. Lucy and Tim went to get the warbags and the keys to their shop.

Lucy was carrying the warbags. “Hand me the keys Boot, I’ll pop the trunk for you.” Lucy looked at Tim skeptically. She had purposely gotten the keys before he had because she wanted to drive. But he had been nicer to her lately, so, maybe she could trust him this time. Lucy handed him the keys. Tim opened the trunk and took the warbags from her and placed them in the trunk before slamming it shut. Lucy held her hand out for the keys, but Tim just grinned. Lucy made a swipe for them, but Tim was too fast for her. “Hey! When are you going to let me drive?!?” Tim walked to the driver’s side. “Boot, I keep forgetting. Remind me again who was driving when we were hanging upside down in the shop?” Lucy rolled her eyes as Tim smirked at her. “Really? That was last year! You can’t keep using that against me.” Lucy grudgingly got into the passenger’s side and shut the door as Tim got in and started the car. He shut the door. They had barely hit the streets when the first call came in. “All units, all units. 211 code 3 at the corner of Sunset and North Wilshire Blvd.. All availible units respond.” Ahh, Tim thought. Nothing like an armed bank robbery to get the blood flowing. It was good to be home. Tim glanced at Lucy. “Ready to get to work Boot?” Lucy grinned, and picked up the radio. “7 Adam 19 responding.” Officer West’s voice cracked over the radio. “7 Adam 21 on the back.” Tim slowed down and glanced at Lucy. “Hit it.” Lucy activated the lights and sirens. Tim pulled a u-turn and they went screaming down the street. Tim and Lucy knew that from now on they would face together whatever comes, as partners, as friends, as lovers, and as two of LAPD’s finest. 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm blown away by the support I received on my first piece of fanfiction! Thank you all so much, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! More Chenford adventures coming soon :)


End file.
